


Awakening

by blakesparkles



Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety, Cuddling, Cute, Dancing, Demon, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Flowers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I don't wanna spoil anything yet, Implied/Referenced Torture, Inspired By Gravity Falls, Jack needs to take care of himself more, Jack's a writer, M/M, Magic, Mind Demon, Mystery, Nicknames, Original Characters - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Pine Trees, Smut, Wooing, also inspired by Twin Peaks, forest, mental bond, more tags will be added, pinning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 16:39:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11085633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakesparkles/pseuds/blakesparkles
Summary: There is a small town hidden in a forest where everybody knows their whereabouts and whispers their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm back with another septiplier fic and I hope you guys enjoy this new journey with me. I have written only this so far and apologies in advance if it takes a while for me to update. I've a lot of projects in college at the moment, but I couldn't wait to post this to see a reaction. Enjoy :) ♥

There is a small town hidden in a forest where everybody knows their whereabouts and whispers their lives. The green-haired man taps his hands off-beat on the steering wheel of his car to a song playing on his old radio and he sees pine trees at the corner of his eye. He drives up to a small hill and the trees slowly reveal a wooden house right in the middle of it all. When the man parks the car on the dirt road, he looks through his window to what will be his new place. It’s an old house with triangle roofs that are slightly tilted to the left if he looks too closely.

 

The oddity of his surroundings brings a smile to Jack’s face, embracing the new atmosphere and hoping this will be a good change for him. There are boxes in the back of his old pickup truck, the red paint of the vehicle already fading. He sighs, leaving the car to bring some of them to the porch. Jack takes a key from his pocket and he opens the front door. The creaking sounds welcome him and the man smiles again.

 

Finally a place he can call  _ home. _

 

Jack sees furniture that already belong to the place and he is relieved to know that the landlord left it nice and clean. He won’t have to stress about getting new stuff and he’s rather fond of antiques. The green-haired man scans the small living room and he likes how the kitchen is bathed by natural sunlight due to a pane of glass above the sink. When he walks upstairs, the floor below him creaks with every step he takes but Jack grins when he sees his bedroom. There’s a writing desk at the end of the room, under a window, and he sees himself spending a lot of time there. The bed is nothing much, but it will do. 

 

Jack walks towards the window, leaning on the desk to have a better view of the place, pine trees and mountains surrounding him. The Irishman already feels enamored with this town and inspired to write more of his stories. He turns to leave the room, taking a deep breath to start unpacking his stuff. He’s not particularly fond of the moving process, but it’s something he has to deal with for just a little longer. Jack spends his first day in the town organizing his books, clothes, cutlery and more.

 

He huffs when he falls on the couch, making his green hair flow. It’s the beginning of evening and Jack is happy with himself for finishing the boxes. Feeling hungry, he decides to drive quickly downtown so he can buy a couple of things from the local market. The paved road begins once he’s in town and the store’s sign flickers every now and then, artificial lights casting over him.

 

Jack greets the woman behind the counter when he comes in, assuming she must be the owner. He’s standing in front of the food aisle, holding his cart that is almost full. Jack’s wondering if he should get frozen lasagna or chicken with broccoli, even though everything that’s processed and that goes in the microwave is not quite healthy anyway. He chews on his lips and the old lady calls his attention from the end of the aisle.

 

“You’re not from here,” she says from behind the cash register.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Jack waves to be polite and he’s glad that she’s not too far so he doesn’t have to speak too loud. “I’m Jack. I just moved in.”

 

“I see,” she replies. The Irishman picks up the frozen chicken with broccoli and places in his cart while he walks to the cashier. She starts passing the items over the scanner and he watches the pixelated numbers go up on the computer screen. “It’s not everyday that we see new faces around here. But anyway… I hope you like your new home, boy.”

 

Jack smiles and thanks her before leaving the store, making a mental note to look around the area when the sun is up. The green-haired man comes back to the wooden cabin, putting away the groceries and heating up his dinner. After that, he goes upstairs again and he hums when turning on his laptop sitting on the writing desk. There’s no internet connection yet and he’ll need to call someone to fix that. For now, he distracts himself by working on a document until he’s tired enough to sleep.

 

The bed sinks a bit when he lies down and Jack’s shoulders relax when the blanket touches his skin. The Irishman feels a little weird sleeping in a different house, but he’ll get used to it eventually. Jack does scowl in his dream, moving around more than he usually does. He wakes up with his hair sticking to the back of his neck and with a bitter taste in his mouth. However, he shakes it off and pops his arms while getting up to go to the bathroom.

 

Jack flicks the light switch and the sound of the light bulb breaking startles him. He puts a hand over his chest, feeling silly for jumping over something like that. The Irishman should’ve expected that some things might start malfunctioning since the house is not new. Jack gathers the broken pieces of glass to throw in the trashcan and then he brushes his teeth.

 

After taking a shower, he decides to walk down the hill and go to the town. Jack takes his time looking at the trees around him and he can’t wait to explore properly. He grins when he sees that the town is alive now, with people walking in the streets. A couple of citizen stop to greet him and ask his name, which Jack gladly replies to. That lady really was right about newcomers being rare.

 

He does stop to eat breakfast in a diner, sitting at a booth and ordering pancakes with coffee. Jack asks to the waitress if there’s someone he can talk regarding his internet connection and she happily helps him. The green-haired man leaves soon after, finding the man to deal with that small problem, and he remembers to buy a new light bulb on the way back.

 

There’s a path behind his house that leads to the forest and he chews the inside of his cheek, wanting to go. Jack goes inside so he can change the lightbulb and he picks up his sketchbook along with a pencil, leaving again and going down that path. He’ll have enough time to draw and write before the technician arrives after lunch.

 

The leaves crunch under his feet and his hair hits his forehead softly because of the wind. Jack admires the nature around him and, after walking further into the forest, he follows the sound of water until he finds a small stream. Jack moves to sit down and rests his back against a tree, opening his sketchbook to let inspiration flow.

 

The pencil falling from his hand and hitting a small rock is the sound that stirs him awake. He jumps slightly and blinks several times, surprised to know that he fell asleep. The stream of water hitting the rocks probably made him relax too much and the previous night wasn’t exactly relaxing. He checks his watch and then immediately gets up, realizing it’s past lunchtime and the technician must be on his way.

 

Jack sighs in relief when he arrives first and everything goes smoothly after that. He makes a sandwich for himself as lunch, even though part of him knows that that’s not a real meal. Jack spends the rest of the day on his computer, happy that he has a connection now, and he drinks coffee. A lot. Jack notices the three empty mugs and he sighs, getting up to clean the mess and make a fresh pot of coffee.

 

He doesn’t sleep the second night.

 

 

***

 

 

A couple of days pass and Jack is beginning to think that these bad nights of sleep are not going away at all. He starts wondering if it’s because of the new home and his body is just not used to the bed. Still, it sucks to wake up with his clothes stuck to his body because of cold sweat and gasping in the middle of the night. The Irishman will soon have dark bags under his blue eyes and the stress will get to him, preventing him from working.

 

If it wasn’t for that, everything would be perfect.

 

Jack starts debating if he should take a sleeping pill. He stopped taking all his medication a long time ago, but he always liked to bring them in case of emergency to keep his mind at ease. And when he sees things out of the corner of his eye, he thinks that’s enough stress already. Jack believes he sees a shadow every once in awhile and he hates the feeling of being watched. It also doesn’t help the situation that he has nightmares where he tries to run away from something he can’t see.

 

So it’s with a sigh that Jack takes the bottle from a drawer and he swallows one pill with a glass of water. His leg jiggles, wanting the effect to hit him already so he can sleep and wake up feeling rested. It takes around forty minutes for Jack to feel slightly lightheaded and the back of his eyelids feel like sandpaper. Jack lies down in bed and curls under the blanket, embracing the darkness.

 

_ “That’s not going to help.” _

 

_ Jack struggles to breathe and he opens his eyes toward the direction of that voice, but everything is pitch black. He curses under his breath, feeling pressure over his body. The atmosphere of this goddamn place is heavy and Jack can’t move at all. _

 

_ “Who’s there?!” Jack does his best to scream and his voice echoes. _

 

_ A pair of red dots flash briefly from the corner of his eye and he turns his face to look at them. When he locks his blue eyes to those orbs, he feels the same chill run down his spine that he does whenever he dreams lately. The hairs on the back of his neck rise like there’s static in the room and he can’t scream more words at the other being. _

 

_ “You’re not from here,” the voice answers instead and Jack frowns, remembering the woman’s words from the other day. _

 

_ “No, I’m not.” _

 

_ “What brings you here?” _

 

_ Jack narrows his eyes, trying to breathe again. He’s conscious enough to know that this is just a dream, so he doesn’t bother to answer. The Irishman tries to wake himself up and there’s a laugh that is completely directed at him. The pressure around him increases and he groans, falling on his knees to an invisible floor in the middle of this darkness. _

 

_ “J-Just… wanting to go somewhere new. S-Start over.” Jack grinds his teeth, feeling nauseous. _

 

_ The voice hums and the Irishman feels eyes piercing through him like daggers. _

 

_ “Watch your manners. You might get a visit.” _

 

_ Jack doesn’t have time to say anything after this because suddenly he can’t feel the floor below him and he falls down to the pit of black ink, screaming as loud as he can. _

 

The green-haired man gasps and he pushes the covers from his body, immediately running to the bathroom so he can throw up in the toilet. He empties his stomach and he coughs, still feeling the pressure from the nightmare. Jack’s legs are wobbly and he feels sore. The Irishman curses out loud, flushing the toilet and washing his mouth in the sink.

 

Jack shakes his head, hating his mind for playing tricks on him.

 

 

***

 

 

It doesn’t stop.

 

The Irishman finds himself going back to that dark place every night and sometimes he’ll throw up the little amount of food he’s eaten. The bed sheets get changed often because of his sweat and he starts making a small pile of pillows next to the bed so he won’t fall on the bare floor again. Jack’s right shoulder is still slightly sore from the last fall and there are empty coffee mugs all over the house.

 

The reason he came to this town was exactly to avoid stressful situations and write again, but these dreams are making everything an irony. Jack huffs to himself and chooses to jog towards the path at the back of his house to relief some of his tension. That place with the stream is the only thing keeping him from another breakdown.

 

Jack falls asleep against a tree when exhaustion hits him too hard and frankly, he’s not surprised. This is basically becoming his napping spot in the afternoon. Jack realizes he overslept when he opens his eyes because it’s dark in the forest. The moon is not that high up, so Jack thinks it must be the beginning of the night. He narrows his eyes, feeling like he’s being observed just like in his dreams and he slowly turns his head to the left.

 

The Irishman recalls his reaction from the nightmares quite well. He feels nauseous and his vision swims a little when he finds the pair of red dots further into the forest. Jack can’t figure out the shape that he sees. All he can process is a sort of shadow that breathes and there’s a deep rumble coming from it. Jack really should go back to his home so he can take a pill and rest his mind. He’s beginning to hallucinate.

 

He gets up and starts walking away, knowing the red orbs are still watching him but he can’t bring himself to care. The wooden house is warm and Jack sighs, going for his medication and drinking water straight from the tap. He sits on the couch and turns the television on, zoning out and not quite seeing what’s on the screen. Jack scratches the back of his head, still feeling uneasy, and he keeps glancing at the window from across the room.

 

The screen glitches and his vision focuses again when he looks outside once more, only to see that weird-shaped shadow on the dirt road with those red eyes looking at Jack. His heart races at the image. The moonlight shows more of the being and its slender arms, making Jack shudder. He swallows and looks away, closing his eyes hard enough until he sees multiple colorful dots.

 

When he opens them, the shadow is gone.

 

 

***

 

 

Jack rolls his eyes while adding a box of cereal to his cart in the market, feeling that shadow close by again. It’s been a full week since this new presence started following him and frankly, the green-haired man is beginning to get used to that. He tells himself it’ll eventually go away, even though there’s a worried thought in the back of his mind. It’s not like he can simply ask someone if they can see it too without sounding like a crazy person. Jack sighs and proceeds to buy his groceries.

 

Sometimes he writes about it.

 

The Irishman plays with the idea of this shadow character hunting a poor man in his story and he hums, using it as an inspiration. The creature from his mind doesn’t get too close to the house, so it walks in circles when Jack is inside. The rumbling coming from it is the thing that annoys Jack the most. It takes hours for him to fall asleep with that goddamn noise as a background.

 

The next morning, Jack groans when getting up from his bed. He walks downstairs with a scowl on his face, hair messy from sleep and only wearing underwear. He pushes the door from the kitchen and he steps onto the backyard’s porch, pointing angrily at the being.

 

“Stop making that sound! It’s fucking annoying!” Jack yells and walks back into the kitchen.

 

He takes a shower after that to fully wake up and get rid of his sweat, groaning at himself for talking to his hallucination and questioning his sanity. Jack spends the rest of the day with headphones, blasting music in his ears and reading. When his stomach protests in hunger, Jack pauses the music so he can go to the kitchen and make something to eat. When he does that, he frowns.

 

The sound has stopped.

 

 

***

 

 

_ It’s easier to breathe right now. Jack doesn’t know if it’s because he’s used to it or because the shadow did something with the place. The Irishman’s vision swims again and he holds his stomach, choosing to sit down in the darkness and wait for everything to be over. That same voice comes soon after, echoing around him. _

 

_ “My apologies for the discomfort.” He hears a sigh. “I’m still figuring it out how to communicate.” _

 

_ “What?” Jack frowns, then remembers the rumbling from before and how everything was quiet after he shouted at the shadow. He shakes his head and murmurs the next words. “You’re not real. Are you?” _

 

_ “I could ask you the same thing, kid,” the voice replies. _

 

_ “I’m not a kid.” _

 

_ Jack hears a chuckle and he scowls, feeling small. _

 

_ “Very well. If you are not a child, will you politely introduce yourself? You still haven’t said your name and that’s awfully rude.” _

 

_ The Irishman’s eyes feel heavy and he fights to keep them open. His shoulders fall and he looks up, somehow knowing that the creature is right there looking down at him. This time, the green-haired man doesn’t feel frightened.  _

 

_ “I’m Jack,” he whispers. “What about you?” _

 

_ There’s a pause. _

 

_ “Dark.” _

 

Jack slowly opens his eyes to see light coming from his window and the sound of birds singing tells him it is early morning. He blinks a couple times, his eyelashes softly hitting his skin. The green-haired man knits his eyebrows, realizing he doesn’t feel as exhausted as before. This time, he wakes feeling pretty alright and not nauseous anymore. Jack lets out a dry chuckle and he moves to sit up, placing his feet on the cold floor.

 

He makes himself fresh coffee and adds cereal to a white bowl so he can eat. Jack looks outside through the pane of glass from the kitchen and he sees that the shadow has taken a different shape. It looks somehow more human, even though it keeps moving constantly like a wave. There’s no sign of the red dots, so he assumes that its eyes are closed for now. 

 

A whisper in the back of his mind tells him to approach it and that name burns on the tip of his tongue. Jack looks down at his bowl and pokes the soggy cereal, not feeling so hungry anymore. He sighs and places the coffee mug down, shaking his head for what he’s about to do. The Irishman steps outside and squints his eyes at the bright light of summer. He adjusts the sleeves of his red shirt and feels the grass beneath him, barefoot.

 

Jack walks until he’s in front of the figure, only a few steps separating them. The shadow is taller than he thought it was and he swallows, observing it. He can hear a soft humming coming from it, but it’s barely audible. There’s a silly question that is about to escape his mouth and he feels slightly embarrassed for actually talking to his hallucination again. At least he’s hoping it is one.

 

“Dark?”

 

He flinches when red eyes lock to his and Jack doesn’t have time to react when the creature touches his face. The green-haired man freezes and his heart beats fast against his ribcage when he starts to panic. Jack’s blood runs cold when he can’t move anymore, just like in his nightmares, and they keep staring at each other closer than ever. Jack gasps, feeling his energy being drained away. His vision begins to blur and he falls to his knees on the grass. The being crouches to keep the contact and Jack thinks he sees a face on it.

 

Thoughts that do not belong to him invade his mind and he knits his eyebrows, fighting to move away but failing. There’s a voice singing a lullaby to him, as if it’s trying to soothe him. Jack opens his mouth to scream when millions of images flash in his brain and he thinks the shadow is screaming too at one point, their voices merging into one. Sometimes he takes the point of view of the figure, that’s starting to gain a solid form, and he sees himself with full black eyes. Birds fly from the trees, scared away.

 

The shadow removes its hand from Jack’s face like it’s been burned and the Irishman ceases to scream right after. Jack’s body goes limp and he falls to the side, letting his conscious slip away with a weak sigh.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub-U19BWidg&index=2&list=PL6XgzmiBk09Ho_26z7fUGK6aZ2yJkE2Bd) so far ♥  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

Jack groans, knitting his eyebrows and opening his eyes. He’s lying down in the backyard and he sees stars in the sky. The green-haired man grunts, noticing he has a headache and he drags a hand over his face. He curses under his breath, remembering what happened and thinking he’s going insane. The being touching his face completely threw him off earlier and he scowls, hoping it was just a fucked up vivid dream he had. The pain he felt was so real, though.

 

A small laugh calls his attention and Jack looks up, only to see a man standing in front of him. He frowns even more when the person extends a hand towards him and Jack doesn’t move. Instead, he narrows his eyes and scans him up and down. The brunet is wearing a black vest and tie, holding a black cane with his other hand.

 

“Who are you?” Jack speaks.

 

The man doesn’t answer him. He just moves his hand closer to Jack, wanting him to take it, and the Irishman huffs, accepting the man’s aid. The green-haired man sighs when his throbbing head gets worse with every movement and he can’t wait to get inside. The man in the suit keeps looking at him.

 

“Where did you come from?” Jack tries asking again. “What’s your name?” 

 

The brunet narrows his own eyes, as if trying to understand the Irishman. They exchange a look and Jack really doesn’t have the time to deal with a weird person right now, but he needs to make him leave his backyard somehow and there’s no sight of that shadow anymore.

 

_ Dark. _

 

Jack scratches his head when he hears that voice again, but the man didn’t open his mouth to speak. He pretends nothing happened and waits for the brunet to say something instead. Jack sees him frowning, like he’s upset at the green-haired man.

 

_ I’m talking to you, kid. _

 

The Irishman slowly backs away when he hears that nickname, touching his forehead and not quite believing what is going on. The brunet steps forward, following him and spinning the cane in his hand. Jack stumbles on his own feet and falls to the grass again, fighting to breathe and keep himself together. He sucks for air, making his chest hurt and the corner of his eyes burn with unshed tears.

 

Jack’s vision of the porch is blocked when the brunet steps before him. He bends to look down at the green-haired man and, when he opens his mouth to speak, Jack hears that rumbling sound again. The man shakes his head, groaning at himself and clearing his throat. 

 

“Is this better?”

 

The voice from his dreams reaches his ears and Jack chokes on his own saliva, failing to breathe. The thought of everything he saw turning into reality hits him like a punch in his guts. He’s shaking like a madman and the image of his medication inside the drawer upstairs comes to his mind. Jack flinches when the brunet makes a move to touch his shoulder.

 

“D-Don’t touch me!” he shouts and the man rolls his eyes.

 

“Jack, I need you to let me in. Unless you are able to walk upstairs and take your emergency pill by yourself.”

 

The Irishman frowns, Dark’s deep voice confusing him more than anything. He grips his hands on the grass and he shakes his head, knowing he can’t get up until his panic attack goes away. There’s so many things crossing his mind and it feels like a hammer is cracking his skull, shattering it into a million pieces. 

 

“Jack!” Dark taps his cane on the ground to call his attention.

 

“F-Fuck! Fine!”

 

“I need a proper answer. Do you allow me to go inside your house?”

 

“Yes!” Jack grinds his teeth and he closes his eyes when Dark vanishes from his sight.

 

When he opens them again, the brunet is holding a cup of water and he gives a pill to Jack. The Irishman swallows it down with a trembling hand and he doesn’t know what Dark does with the cup after he gives it back. All he knows is that it disappears into thin air. Dark sits down on the porch, using his cane to support his chin and waits for Jack to calm down.

 

The green-haired man holds his legs and places his head down, resting his forehead on his knees. The stars shine above them and the moon is high up, illuminating them with ethereal light. Jack doesn’t know how long he stays like that, hugging himself and controlling his breathing. But at one point, when his muscles relax, Jack starts thinking that the man is gone and everything will go back to normal.

 

“I’m still here, kid.”

 

Jack snaps his head towards the being still on the porch and he feels a sudden anger inside him. The green-haired man is upset for having a panic attack when it’s been so long since he stopped having them. All this mess has a solid form now and Jack just wants to fucking punch it. He stands up and points at the man, running closer to him.

 

“The fuck are you?! What the fuck did you do to me?!”

 

Dark’s eyebrow rises and he waits for Jack to stop pointing at him. He stands up and Jack takes a step back, feeling a menacing aura. The man sighs, scanning him up and down. His half-moon eyes shine in the dark and Jack can see a rim of the color red around his brown irises. He holds his breath when Dark approaches him, noses almost touching.

 

“Do not talk to me like that ever again,” he growls. “I may not have intentions to hurt you this moment, but that can change. Do you understand?” Jack nods and he blinks several times when the man backs away, pointing at the door. “Now, if you please.”

 

The green-haired man walks inside and sits at the round kitchen table. He never quite eats a proper meal there. Dark sits across from him, resting the cane against the wall and crossing his fingers over the table. They exchange another look and Jack feels completely exhausted. However, he senses a soft wave enveloping him that makes him feel a little more alert. He frowns.

 

“How are you doing this?”

 

“I’m a demon,” the brunet answers.

 

There’s a brief pause and Jack sighs, resting a hand on his forehead.

 

“Right… And I’m a leprechaun.” The Irishman tries to laugh but Dark is glaring at him, so he stops himself. “Are you serious?”

 

“A dream demon, to be more precise,” Dark nods. “These nightmares you’ve been having are of my doing. It was the only way I could communicate in this dimension, so I thought a vessel would be more appropriate.”

 

“God, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about…” Jack covers his face with his hands.

 

Thoughts and images appear in his mind again, making him frown. He sees himself walking closer to the shadow on that bright morning, how his eyes turned pitch black when the creature touched him and how painful it was. Jack lowers his hands and sees Dark smirking with full red eyes, black smoke surrounding him like fire. The green-haired man takes it all in and realizes that what stands in front of him is indeed supernatural, no point in denying what his eyes see anymore.

 

“Dark…” Jack lets the name roll off his tongue and the man raises his chin in response. “What did you do?”

 

The man makes an open gesture with his hands, half shrugging in fake innocence.

 

“I had to make my own vessel, Jack. And  _ that _ takes a lot of energy,” he sighs. “You blacked out for a few hours after I took yours.”

 

Jack wants to ask the reason he’s here and why he chose to haunt him for the past week. His life is a living nightmare and he can still feel his head throbbing. Jack sighs, rubbing his eyes and murmuring something about losing his shit. Dark seems unphased by his confusion, looking around the room with now hazel eyes.

 

“I need to fucking sleep.” The green-haired man gets up to leave the room and he ignores the fact that he didn’t eat since that morning. “Just… Please, go away.”

 

“Why?”

 

“ _ Why _ ? Because you’re a demon, that’s why! I’m too exhausted to call a fucking priest, if you haven’t noticed!” He turns his back to the creature and shouts his next words while walking upstairs. “If you’re still here in the morning, I’ll be getting freaking holy water.”

 

The last thing he hears is a chuckle that echoes in the wooden cabin and Jack shivers under the blankets until he falls asleep.

 

 

***

 

 

The green-haired man stretches himself in bed to fully wake up, feeling rested. He checks his phone with half-lidded eyes and sees that he slept over twelve hours and it’s past lunch time. Jack rubs his eyes, glad that his headache is gone and he goes to the bathroom to wash his face. He walks downstairs wearing a grey shirt and pink boxers, hearing the floor creak beneath his feet.

 

Jack opens the cupboard and grabs some cereal, pressing the button of the coffee maker after adding more water. He chews on his breakfast until he hears someone in the kitchen with him. Jack raises his eyes only to see Dark floating in the middle of the room, lying back and holding a book that belongs to Jack. 

 

“‘Know that it is a corpse who loves you and adores you and will never, never leave you! Look, I am not laughing now, crying, crying for you, Christine, who have torn off my mask and who therefore can never leave me again! Oh, mad Christine, who wanted to see me!’” Dark reads dramatically and rests a hand over his forehead. “God, Leroux was so melodramatic…”

 

Jack rubs his left temple and Dark tosses the book on the table with a disgusted face, still floating midair.

 

The Irishman holds back a sigh and analyzes the situation. This is no longer a figment of his imagination and he should take this seriously. Jack has to face the fact that there’s indeed a demon under his roof, that took his energy to create a body so he can walk in this dimension. Dark did say he had no intention to hurt him, but Jack needs to be careful and politely make him leave so he can proceed with his quiet life. All these years working with fantasy and horror in his books suddenly feels like nothing.

 

“ _ The Phantom of the Opera _ is a classic, I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Jack murmurs while staring at his mug and Dark huffs. “So… you’re still here.”

 

“Indeed.” His eyes flash red for a moment and for some reason, Jack feels unphased by that. “Are you still considering the holy water?”

 

“Maybe.” Jack pokes his cereal. “I still have questions.”

 

“Perhaps I can take your doubts away.”

 

“You did something else yesterday. It doesn’t feel like you only drained some of my energy. What was it?”

 

“This body still needs to be one hundred percent, so I’ll need some vitality again. Joining our minds sounded easier to deal with.”

 

Jack loses his appetite when he understands that a demon connected their minds together and he pours the rest of the coffee down the sink, thinking about getting a new psychiatrist. Dark shows up next to him, narrowing his eyes and Jack can feel now that he’s poking his thoughts. The green-haired man glares at the brunet.

 

_ It’s a weak bond, kid. Don’t stress. _

 

“Call me kid again and I’ll punch you in the face.”

 

Dark smirks down at him, saying that’s quite tempting but he’ll save that for another time. Jack scowls and asks what the demon wants with all of this. The brunet doesn’t give a proper answer, but tells Jack not to worry about. Apparently, Dak has unfinished business in this dimension and he makes it clear that he’s only using Jack for his energy.

 

“Once you’re done, will you leave?” Jack asks.

 

“If you wish,” he murmurs after a beat of silence and the Irishman walks away.

 

 

***

 

 

Dark is gone for the rest of the day and Jack embraces the silence that follows. He takes his time to calm down and tries to go back to his day, typing on his computer and eating snacks. The green-haired man looks outside his window and he sighs, knowing that shadow will not be there and it’s now roaming around in human form. Jack frowns at his computer screen, wondering how Dark managed to create a body like that. He seemed to still be getting used to it, asking Jack silly questions or forgetting how to breathe.

 

_ Do I dare to write more about him? _ he thinks to himself.

 

_ Oh yes. I’d love some praise. _

 

Jack jumps from his bed when Dark talks to him through telepathy, almost forgetting that he can do that now because of the bond. He rolls his eyes and huffs.  _ Get out of my head, _ he answers.

 

_ I’m afraid I cannot do that. You think too loud. So… write about me. _

 

The Irishman purses his lips and bites on his nails, knowing that despite all the fear and worry he’s been through, his curiosity speaks louder.  _ I’ll think about it.  _ It’s quiet for another ten minutes and Jack pinches the end of his nose, feeling bored.  _ What are you doing? _ he thinks, hoping that he’s doing this telepathy thing right. After a moment of silence, he begins to feel a little stupid, but Dark’s smooth voice appears in his mind.

 

_ You really don’t wanna know. _

 

_ Try me. _

 

_ I’m in a city close by, dealing with some mediocre demons that thought they could get away from me. Turns out, they were wrong. _

 

Jack doesn’t say anything after that and Dark goes silent, their connection making a soft static noise. The Irishman takes a deep breath, still fighting to accept this situation and not have a mental breakdown. When he’s in the kitchen, waiting for his dinner to heat up in the microwave, his blue eyes glance at the book still on the table. He takes it back to his room and begins to read it while digging food from his plate. The worn-out pages make Jack’s heart swell with fondness and it’s enough to distract him.

 

The green-haired man yells when Dark shows up out of thin air, leaning on his shoulder to look down at the book. The man smirks and Jack knows that that’s exactly what he wanted to do. The Irishman puts a hand over his chest, sighing.

 

“Don’t do that!” he says and widens his eyes when he looks at Dark’s face. “Uh… You…” Jack points at his cheek when the brunet narrows his eyes in question. There’s a red spot on his right cheek and Dark presses his thumb over it, smudging it off. He looks at the red color on his finger and clicks his tongue in annoyance.

 

“Pardon me. I was a bit… careless,” he says while cleaning his hand with a red handkerchief, then he adjusts the sleeves of his formal shirt.

 

Jack looks away, pretending to see the outside from his window and not wanting to see the trace of blood that Dark carries. He feels a shiver run down his spine and he rubs the back of his neck. The brunet hums and begins to quote another sentence from  _ The Phantom of the Opera _ while lying down on Jack’s bed. The part he chooses to quote makes the green-haired man rub his temples again.

 

“‘And, despite the care which she took to look behind her at every moment, she failed to see a shadow which followed her like her own shadow, which stopped when she stopped,’” he points the cane at Jack’s face and the Irishman huffs. “‘Which started again when she did and which made no more noise than a well-conducted shadow should.’”

 

“I thought you hated this book.”

 

“Just because I think it’s  _ dramatic _ , doesn’t mean I  _ hate _ it.”

 

Jack shakes his head, murmuring that the demon is weird. Dark chuckles but his smile fades away soon after and the green-haired man feels uneasy with the sudden mood shift. He tells Jack he needs more energy because he wasted it with those other demons and the green-haired man asks if he’ll pass out once he’s done. Dark purses his lips, deciding to take it easy so Jack can wake up earlier.

 

The Irishman scratches the back of his head and sighs, lying in bed when Dark stands up. There’s a small tension between them and Jack narrows his eyes when the brunet makes a movement to touch his forehead. Dark says he needs the contact to make it work and Jack swallows, not having any other choice. The man’s hand is oddly warm, the green-haired man somehow expecting it to be ice cold. The demon’s eyes change to red once more and he knits his eyebrows to focus on the task. 

 

Jack watches him from below, feeling his eyes heavy and his body relaxing in bed soon after. This time, it doesn’t feel like Dark is tearing him apart. It’s lighter and slow. His vision begins to blur and the warmth from the demon’s hand soothes him to sleep.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Jack is resting his back against a tree, enjoying the sound of water hitting rocks in the stream. There’s a deer in the distance and the Irishman’s eyes glance at it every now and then to draw it in his sketchbook. The birds singing in the top of the pine trees make him smile softly but the peaceful moment soon breaks when Dark shows up next to him, making the line of his drawing quiver when he holds the pencil too tight. He huffs and looks up at the man, who’s wearing a white suit with a blue bowtie this time.

 

It’s been a couple of days since Dark crashed his life. He appears at random moments of the day, so Jack can never quite guess when he’s going to surprise him. They both look at the deer and watch the animal run away when it spots the demon. Jack purses his lips and closes his book, resting his head and closing his eyes. Traces of sunlight breach the leaf canopy, hitting his skin. 

 

“Have you been enjoying your nights of sleep?” Dark asks. Jack frowns and opens his eyes to look at him again. “Since you’re so kind to share your vitality, I thought I could give something back.”

 

“Are you making me sleep better...?” The green-haired man whispers and Dark nods, tilting his head a little to the left. “Uh, thank you?” The man in the suit bows slightly and Jack snorts. “You sure do like some etiquette.”

 

Dark grumbles and leans his back against the tree, tapping his cane. It’s quiet for awhile and Jack finds himself calm, not biting on his nails for once and actually taking things slow. There’s a thought in the back of his mind wondering if he should be worried about getting used to this other presence. The dream demon begins to hum and Jack frowns, recognizing the lullaby from before. 

 

“What’s that  [ song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il7DWoLySW8) ?”

 

Jack snorts when Dark answers by singing a little louder, not humming anymore. He snaps his fingers and the cane disappears from his hand. The green-haired man raises one eyebrow when the brunet moves to slowly spin around and he extends his hands to Jack, winking. The oddity of this makes the Irishman huff and just go along with it. Jack carefully lets his hand touch Dark’s and the latter wraps his fingers around it, sharing his warmth.

 

The writer stands up and the brunet holds him by the waist with one arm. Jack gasps in surprise, but finds himself wrapping his own arms around Dark’s shoulders. He’s frowning a little at the weird scenario that he’s in and the brunet is smirking at him. The song starts playing in his head and he lets out a breathless laugh.

 

They move back and forth, Dark’s arms guiding Jack in the dance and he keeps looking at the brunet with a funny face. If someone told him last week that he’d be dancing with a supernatural being, he’d think they are crazy. Yet here he is, swinging to an old song and listening to the brunet sing along. His voice is deep, but somehow soft. Jack has goosebumps when Dark moves closer, their chests almost touching. 

 

The brunet spins Jack slowly and the green-haired man chuckles when he comes back into his arms, watching him from over his shoulder. Dark murmurs the words into his ears and Jack can’t focus in anything else. The world’s a blur and it must be a funny sight to see two men dancing to nothing but the sound in their minds. 

 

He spins again to face the brunet, but his smile fades away when his vision begins to swim and he notices that they are too close for his liking. He feels dizzy. Jack shakes his head and stops dancing, taking a few steps back to create distance between them. Their arms untangled and the brunet’s hands hovers in the air. Dark stops singing and the music ends. He has a deadpan expression that Jack can’t read and the green-haired man breathes heavily.

 

“What… W-What are you doing?” Jack grinds his teeth, hugging his stomach. “Don’t play fucking tricks with me! You already have what you want, so  _ don’t  _ do this to me!”

 

Dark remains silent, only narrowing his eyes slightly, letting Jack speak. He feels the fogginess from his brain fade a little and the green-haired man groans, hating himself for allowing Dark to play with him. Jack can’t stand tricks and lies. Dark’s a demon. Being charming is part of who they are, to mislead people. The Irishman knits his eyebrows in anger and picks up his sketchbook before leaving, not looking back at the forest.

 

 

***

 

 

Jack wakes up in the middle of the night with Dark nudging his shoulder. He scowls, half-conscious, and slurs incoherent words. The Irishman’s eyes widen when he notices that the brunet is glitching to weird layers of red. He’s slightly transparent and his eyebrows are knit, as if he’s trying to keep himself together. Literally.

 

The green-haired man curses out loud when the brunet falls into his bed and Jack moves to the corner of the wall, hugging his own legs and feeling fully awake now. Since that dance in the forest, Dark’s been gone for almost three days and he wasn’t answering through their bond whenever the Irishman felt somewhat concerned. He looks weak, exhausted. Jack never saw the demon like this.

 

“What the hell?” Jack whispers. 

 

The brunet groans and moves his hand to touch Jack’s face but the green-haired man grabs it, preventing him from taking his energy. They exchange a strained look, Dark scowling at him and showing his teeth in anger while Jack watches him with heavy breathing. There’s a thought that crosses his mind and Dark hisses, catching it through their bond.

 

“I could leave you right here,” Jack says it out loud. “I could just leave and let you vanish from this dimension…”

 

“You wouldn’t  _ dare.” _ Dark grinds his teeth and the Irishman pushes his hand back, taking the opportunity that the demon is weak and cannot fight. “I will never leave you in peace, I’ll hunt you in your dreams and drive you insane.”

 

Jack huffs, thinking that he already feels like a crazy person. The Irishman is not afraid of the threat that escapes Dark’s lips. Somehow it feels like it’s not true. It feels empty. The temptation to get rid of the demon is there and he tells himself that he can do this whenever he wants. Jack looks at him, pinning the brunet down while he glitches and loses a bit of his human form. It’s somewhat fascinating to take control of something that’s so powerful. Dark smirks beneath his pain.

 

“I want to make a deal.” The words roll off Jack’s tongue confident and easy. “You can take my energy whenever you want, I won’t complain. In exchange, I want to go with you whenever you leave, I want to know what you do. I’ll take that as my responsibility, so you don’t fuck people up.”

 

Dark’s laugh is broken between the layers and Jack scowls, wanting to punch him again.

 

“Oh, little boy…” he grins. “Are you certain that you want that?”

 

“You’re only here because of me. I don’t want innocent people dying.”

 

“Is that a deal?” Dark murmurs and extends his hand. Red flames surround it and Jack flinches for a moment, but then he lets determination overtake him.

 

“Deal.”

 

They shake hands and the flames engulf Jack’s arm, taking him by surprise. It doesn’t burn him, but the green-haired man purses his lips when he feels a small fear consuming him. Dark doesn’t waste his time after sealing the deal and takes Jack’s energy in a heartbeat. The Irishman falls in bed, unable to move. The feeling of having his body torn apart overtakes him and his mouth falls open in a silent scream. Dark glares down at him, recovering his form and making sure Jack knows that threatening the demon is a mistake.

 

Jack glares back.

 

 

***

 

 

The sunlight hits the tiled floor of the kitchen and Jack stretches his legs from the counter, enjoying the warmth on his feet. He looks outside the window to see the demon lying down on the grass, where they first met and everything changed. He sighs. Dark hasn’t left the house since the deal, which means that Jack hasn’t seen anything that he does. He’s procrastinating and wandering around the place.

 

The green-haired man opens the back door and steps outside, barefoot. He walks slowly towards the brunet and, when the flowers reveal his face, Jack knits his eyebrows. The demon’s eyes are closed and his chest moves up and down with his breathing. His golden vest shines with the summer light. Dark seems relaxed, one hand over his stomach and the other resting on the ground.

 

He looks human.

 

Jack scowls more at this thought, staring for a while. Dark seems to sense him and he opens his demon eyes, flashing an ear-to-ear smile, as if proving to Jack that he’s wrong to think such thing. The Irishman purses his lips, proceeding to sit down next to him. He picks some daisies that bloom around the house, just to have something to do with his hands, and he can feel Dark’s eyes watching him.

 

They share an odd silence. Jack can’t quite point out what he feels whenever they stay like this. It’s not uncomfortable, he doesn’t feel like he needs to talk, but it’s still something new to deal with. He hears the brunet sigh.

 

“I was wondering what it’s like to fall asleep.”

 

“You don’t sleep?” Jack frowns.

 

“It’s been a long time. I’m afraid I do not remember,” Dark hums.

 

“That’s ironic…” he huffs. “A dream demon that doesn’t dream.”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

There’s another silence that hovers over them and Jack listens to the birds singing in the background. He really likes this place despite everything that’s been happening.

 

“Can you  _ make _ yourself fall asleep, though?” Jack asks.

 

The demon scoffs. “I do not have time for these silly things, pet. My presence is much required in my business.”

 

Jack’s eyebrow twitches at the nickname.

 

“You don’t look busy now.”

 

They look at the each other and Dark seems to think for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly and tilting his head even though he’s lying down. It makes Jack chuckle, knowing that the being has his own mannerism. Dark asks if he’s trying to trick him in some way and the Irishman is surprised at himself for not thinking about that. The brunet adjusts himself for a better position when Jack says that he won’t do anything at all. 

 

The green-haired man watches Dark focus on his breathing, resting one hand behind his head. His expression softens after a moment and his body relaxes again. Jack thinks he must have cast some sort of magic to make it quick, or whatever the hell he uses as power. But then it hits him that the demon chose to sleep in the open during the day. With only Jack to look after him. 

 

The Irishman’s lips part in deep thought, wondering if Dark trusts him in any way or form. Perhaps he sensed that Jack was telling the truth, that he wasn’t going to do anything. Still, it makes the boy chew on his lips while he looks down at the creature. He looks human again, his expression gentle. Jack spends his time thinking of what the demon is dreaming and picking daisies from the dirt.

 

When Jack’s stomach growls from hunger, he sighs and scratches the back of his head. It looks like a couple of hours have passed and there’s no sign of the demon waking up. Jack holds in a laugh when he notices that Dark is snoring. He’s a little sorry for having to interrupt Sleeping Beauty, but it doesn’t feel right to leave him here out in the open. With that thought in mind, he shakes the brunet’s shoulder gently.

 

“Dark, I’m hungry. We need to go inside.” The demon huffs, making grass flow away from his face and he frowns. Jack giggles, realizing he feels groggy from sleep.

 

The brunet opens his eyes too fast and he hisses because of the light. Jack tells him to wait and that it’ll get better if he rubs his eyes. Dark follows his instructions, not saying anything. He gets up with a soft grunt and he shakes his head, hair flowing with the movement. The green-haired man keeps holding in a smile all the way back to the house, making sure that the demon won’t trip over his feet. Dark grumbles an insult when he tries to take his arm and decides to float his way back.

 

Jack decides to make actual food, so he takes some ingredients out of the cupboard and the fridge to make pasta. It’s nothing over the top, but it’ll do it for now and his body will be thankful anyway. Dark is nowhere to be seen, so Jack focuses on his cooking. The smell of pasta makes his stomach growl even more and his mouth salivates when he picks up a plate for himself.

 

“You think too loud.”

 

Jack is sitting on the table, chewing his food, when he sees Dark leaning on the kitchen doorframe. The Irishman shrugs at the comment and continues to eat. The demon seems better, but he still looks a little drunk from the nap. Jack grins between bites and Dark rolls his eyes, catching his thoughts. Eventually, he comes to sit across from the green-haired man and he glares at his plate until Jack feels uncomfortable.

 

“Uh,” Jack points at the pasta with his fork. “Do you want a bite?”

 

Dark grunts an answer, trying to act aloof. Jack pushes the plate towards him and watches him eat a little. At first, the demon doesn’t say anything. He just continues to frown and chew on the food, but then he keeps eating and eating and Jack has to cover his mouth to hide a smile. When the plate is empty, the green-haired man clears his throat and asks if he wants more. Dark nods and asks for a napkin.

 

They eat some more in silence and Jack feels oddly fine. It’s been a long time since he had company during meals, let alone someone to just talk to. Even if the company has supernatural tendencies. The Irishman finds himself trying to get along and see how things turn out. When they are done eating, Dark murmurs a compliment regarding Jack’s cooking skills and the latter tries to explain that this isn’t anything special. Regardless, the brunet appreciates it.

 

“Did you sleep well?” Jack asks.

 

“I’m not certain. It was… confusing. I don’t know how you humans manage this,” Dark frowns in wonder. “But perhaps a more comfortable place may suit me.”

 

The Irishman nods and then he remembers something that brings a smirk to his face.

 

“Oh, by the way, you snore.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You snore, dude,” he chuckles. “It’s kinda cute.”

 

Dark scoffs. “I don’t do  _ cute. _ ”

 

Jack hums and pretends to agree.

 

 

***

 

 

The demon tells Jack that he has somewhere to go that night. The latter stops typing on his computer to pay attention to Dark and he hums. The brunet says he just needs to attend a meeting, mark his presence and leave as usual. Jack gets up and picks up his jacket from the chair, searching for his car keys and Dark sends him a puzzled look.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Getting… ready to drive...?” Jack mumbles and Dark looks disappointed in humanity.

 

He rests his hand on the Irishman’s shoulder and then snaps his fingers. Jack feels the world around him shift and a wave of nausea hits him soon after. He groans and bends down to rest a hand on a brick wall to recover and then he frowns. The air is cooler than before and there’s traffic sounds everywhere along with pounding music. Jack stands up again when he feels better and realizes they’re in an alley. Dark snaps his fingers again, this time to call his attention, and Jack notices he’s still holding the car keys in hands.

 

“Did you fucking teleport us?” Jack knits his eyebrows while putting on the jacket.

 

“We’re across the country,” the brunet answers and then glares at the green-haired man. “Now, you listen to me, boy. You’re only here because of that stupid deal you made. When we walk inside,” he points at a club on the other side of the street, “you’re on your own. I’ll mind my own business until it’s time to leave, so don’t expect me to help you with anything. Do you understand?”

 

The green-haired man holds back a groan, hating the way Dark treats him like a dog sometimes, but he nods nonetheless. He doesn’t want to upset the demon when he’s responsible for the ride back home. The brunet fixes his black suit before turning his back to the Irishman and walks towards the club, the neon lights from the place flashing over him every two seconds.

 

Jack sighs and follows him with wary steps.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't feeling so confident about this story. I still have some fear because I wanna do well. But after talking to my friend Maggie that also helps me edit every chapter, I felt like writing even more. I have plans on the way, scenes that I can't wait to write it down. Sorry for taking a little longer to update. Just letting you guys know that I won't leave this haha ♥
> 
> ALSO! [Storyboard](https://pinterest.com/sparklepines/awakening/) time, yall.  
> 


	4. Chapter 4

The green-haired man is immediately overwhelmed by the obnoxious electronic music playing loudly at the club, making his heart beat like a drum and his bones shake. Artificial smoke invades his nostrils and he follows Dark into the sea of people, that are half-drinking and half-dancing. The Irishman scrunches up his nose when he has to push some people away to keep up with Dark, and he wonders what kind of meeting involves a place like this.

 

However, Dark turns to a small hallway that could easily be overlooked in this confusion of neon lights and beverages. There’s a red door at the end of the hall and a very tall security guard standing in front of them, wearing black and white. Jack stays behind Dark, waiting for him to act, and he admires the guard’s chocolate skin. Dark clears his throat and nods at the man.

 

“Mees yeht tahw ton era slegna eht,” the brunet says.

 

Jack frowns, realizing after a moment that Dark talked backwards. The guard smirks and bows, revealing his true nature. Jack’s fascinated to see golden eyes in contrast with his tan skin. Dark calls his attention when the door opens and, despite the warnings that he won’t be around, Jack still hears the demon in his mind telling him to be careful.

 

Behind the door, there are stairs that lead to a sort of underground area and the electronic music fades to silence as they walk further down. The artificial smoke vanishes and Jack’s curious to see what’s at the end of all this because, apparently, it’s not everyone that can go through that red door in the first place. Dark’s quiet after sending his message to him, so he doesn’t ask about the elevator at the end of the stairs. Instead, he just watches the demon press the golden button and Jack feels completely uneasy knowing they’ll have to go deeper down.

 

When the elevator opens again, however, the green-haired man feels out-of-place almost right away. What he sees is entirely the opposite from the nightclub above them. There’s jazz music in the air and the neon lights are replaced by crystals and chandeliers. The people chatting, dancing and drinking on the black and white tiled floor, are dressed up elegantly.

 

It feels like Jack is staring at another era.

 

They step out of the elevator and Dark doesn’t look back when he leaves Jack behind. The Irishman takes a deep breath and tells himself that it’ll be alright, that he can do this. He can still feel the brunet’s presence and it soothes him, knowing where he is. Jack looks around, his blue eyes wandering through the place. He clenches his hands when he realizes that there are also demons here. Not everyone has a human form, some of them are similar to Dark.

 

Shapes and eyes hovering over the room.

 

He swallows, trying not to panic over the fact that there’s no way out of this place without Dark, and he can’t tell whether or not someone is human like him. Jack chooses to move and a few creatures look at him, scanning him up and down. He tries not to make himself smaller and pretends that he belongs to this place while walking towards the open bar. Jack closes his eyes and sighs in relief when he sits down on a stool, glad that nothing happened during the small walk.

 

“You’re not from here.”

 

Jack frowns at the familiar sentence and opens his eyes to see two blonde bartenders leaning on the counter in front of him. The girls are smiling and one of them is holding a drink filled with cherries. The girl on the left eats the fruits, one at the time, and the other just drinks. His eyes widen when he realizes they are joined at the waist. Siamese twins.

 

“No,” Jack whispers. “I’m not.”

 

They giggle.

 

“Care for a drink?” asks the one on the right. The green-haired man doesn’t say anything because they start making a drink for him soon after and Jack sighs. “Our name is Eleanor, by the way.”

 

The Irishman stares at the drink in front of him, the cherry floating in the tall glass. He murmurs a thanks and debates whether or not he should actually drink it.

 

“Loosen up a bit,” they speak in unison and Eleanor from the left eats another cherry.

 

Jack sighs and presses the glass against his lips, letting the drink touch his tongue. The sweet liquid is cold and the Irishman welcomes it when it runs down his throat. The women smile and drink too, the demons around him seem to look away and proceed with their party. Jack licks his pink lips and sips on his drink a couple of times. He taps mentally on his bond to feel where Dark is, but the latter doesn’t respond at all. So Jack distracts himself by watching the other creatures and occasionally answering Eleanor’s small talk. They seem genuinely curious about him and sometimes the Irishman finds himself smiling at the girls.

 

Jack’s eyes find, on the other end of the room, red drapes that surround a sort of private circular room. He can see through the half-opened curtains a round table with beverages and men enjoying the company of women. There’s a man with light blond hair in the middle of the room, sitting with his arms resting along the back of the red couch. His suit is plain white and there’s a pink rose resting in the left pocket of his coat.

 

They lock their gaze and Jack holds his breath, tightening his grip on the glass. Even from here, the green-haired man can see his fuchsia eyes and the small smirk that forms on his face. Eleanor follows his gaze and when they see the red room, they giggle again. The high pitched laugh echos in Jack’s mind.

 

“Boss got an eye on you.”

 

“Boss?” Jack looks away from the man and takes another sip from his drink, cherry long gone.

 

They hum playfully and say nothing else. The Irishman rubs the back of his neck when the man keeps staring at him in a way that Dark doesn’t, making Jack uneasy. He never thought he’d wish for Dark’s presence so soon, but right now it’s all he can think about. He feels silly for ever thinking about making a deal like this. Jack meant well and really thought he could control the demon in some way. But he might as well have put himself in a death trap.

 

A creature with one eye approaches him and they order Jack to follow them. The Irishman shakes his head and brushes it off, but the being points at the man in the red room. Eleanor urges him to obey if he doesn’t want any trouble. Jack’s heart skips a beat when he leaves the stool and walks towards the crimson drapes.

 

The other demons around the man don’t bother paying attention to Jack, continuing to enjoy the women dancing for them and sipping on their drinks. The blond man lifts his chin up with a smile and his pink eyes shine. It’s like staring at a pair of roses blooming in the night.

 

“What’s your name, boy?”

 

Jack blinks at the sound of his voice. It’s smooth and seductive, the words rolling off his tongue slow and easy. The Irishman knits his eyebrows.

 

“I’m not a boy,” Jack says. “And it’s none of your business.”

 

Everyone stops and stares at him. There’s a beat of silence that seems like an eternity, but the man breaks it by chuckling and clapping his hands. Everyone looks away.

 

“I like your attitude,” he replies. “My name is Solomon. I hope you’re enjoying your time here.” He looks at him from under his long eyelashes. Strands of soft blond hair fall over his forehead. “You’re with him, aren’t you?”

 

Jack frowns and doesn’t say anything back.

 

“My, my… What is Dark up to? Messing with a pretty little thing like you…”

 

He doesn’t like this. At all. Jack wants to leave this place. He steps back and tries calling for Dark through his thoughts, but Solomon snaps his fingers and Jack suddenly feels a wave of panic overtaking him. He can’t feel Dark anymore. Jack’s blood runs cold and his sapphire eyes widen when their bond disappears. He forgets how to breathe. The Irishman chokes and touches his chest, feeling nothing but a void. He falls on his knees and begins to hyperventilate.

 

_No, no, no, no, no._

 

_Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark. Dark._

 

Everyone is grinning down at him and Solomon is shaking his head. “Doesn’t he know how to share?” he speaks and Jack struggles to get up and run away.

 

The blond man gets up and his black high heels click on the floor. The green-haired man narrows his eyes, realizing that Solomon is way taller than he thought. He approaches him, holding Jack by the chin with enough strength to make him cry out in pain. He tries to move away from his hands, but the demon clearly has control over the situation. Jack’s vision blurs. Pink, red and white are all he can see. The man’s smooth voice sends a shiver down his spine and he feels disgusted by this demon. Jack’s looking at the floor as if he lost something there and can’t quite find anymore.

 

There’s a sharp pain on his inner wrist that makes him scream and when he looks at it, Solomon is sinking his long fingernails into his skin. Jack’s own blood falls on the white floor and he’s never felt so powerless.

 

“He’s hiding secrets from you,” Solomon whispers. “But don’t worry, love. I’ll be waiting for your return.”

 

There’s an animal sound behind them that shakes the whole place and Jack groans when the nails sink further into his skin before letting him go. The green-haired man covers his right wrist and hisses. There’s another growl and the chandeliers threaten to fall. Jack looks over his shoulder to find what he lost, sighing in relief.

 

“D-Dark…” he murmurs.

 

The demon’s red eyes find Jack’s for a moment, but then he glares at Solomon with burning rage. His human form is slightly different and the Irishman thinks it might be some of his power breaking through. Dark has sharp teeth like a shark, horns and a tail. Red flames surround his fists and he looks like a wild animal. Jack never wants to be on his bad side.

 

“Undo your spell,” the brunet speaks in a grave tone. “Before I rip your throat open with my teeth.”

 

“Oh dear,” Solomon says unphased. “Is that a threat, Dark? In my house?”

 

Dark howls and the flames engulf more of his body when he steps closer to them. Jack’s between the two demons, shaking like a leaf.

 

 _“Now,_ Solomon!”

 

“Very well. We were just having fun, but if you insist...”

 

When Jack hears the snap of his fingers, he sucks in air and feels Dark’s emotions invading him again. It’s like having butterflies flapping their wings inside and leaving his lungs. He sighs heavily and the brunet’s expression softens when they look at each other. Dark calms down and turns back to his human form, walking towards Jack and gently helping him to get up.

 

The floor beneath them shifts and the Irishman is relieved to know that Dark didn’t waste any more time getting them back to the cabin. Jack looks down at the familiar wooden floor, thankful that he’s back and away from that place. Dark is holding him by the shoulders, preventing him from falling. He shakes the green-haired man once to get his attention.

 

“Did he touch you?!” Jack flinches at his harsh tone and Dark takes a deep breath, composing himself before speaking softly. “Jack, where did he touch you?”

 

He feels like hiding the bruise just like a kid would, but the brunet sees his right wrist and the dry blood on his skin. Dark’s nostrils flare like a dragon and Jack feels small. The brunet guides him to the bathroom and washes the wound, ignoring the way the Irishman hisses at the cold water. Jack doesn’t question when Dark takes a medkit from under the skin and wraps his wrist with gauze.

 

He also doesn’t question when they hold hands on the way back to the bedroom.

 

“I’m sorry,” Jack mumbles. “I’m sorry for making that deal. It was stupid of me.”

 

“Damn right it was! Let this be a lesson to you!”

 

The green-haired man scoffs. “You fucking _left_ me there! This is also your fault!”

 

They glare at each other, but Dark breaks the eye contact soon after with a sigh. “I should’ve known he’d be there,” Dark murmurs when they sit on the bed. He wrinkles his nose up. “You _reek_ of him.”

 

“Whatever… I’ll take a shower.”

 

Dark mumbles in agreement and Jack takes his alone time to relax, being careful not to wet the gauze. The demon’s angry image flashes in his mind while he watches the water stream down the tiled floor. Jack touches his chest again, right above his heart, recalling that awful feeling from before. It was like someone was crushing his heart and crumbling into pieces. He never wants to feel that again.

 

The demon is staring at the moon through the window when Jack comes out of the shower. He gets dressed, putting on a simple black shirt and boxers. Dark waits until he’s ready, respecting his privacy, and Jack’s thankful for that. When the demon makes no sign of moving, the green-haired man tugs at the end of Dark’s suit sleeve.

 

“Lie down with me.”

 

Jack’s just as surprised as Dark by his own words. He can’t stand the idea of being alone after tonight’s events. There’s an unsafe feeling in the air that Jack doesn’t like, and having their bond broken for a moment definitely messed with both of them. The demon sighs and nods slowly, taking off his formal jacket and vest. The shiny shoes go under the desk.

 

The Irishman lies down first, resting his back against the wall, and the bed shifts with a new  weight when Dark follows him.

 

“What was that all about?” Jack whispers in the middle of the night. “How could he interfere with… this?” He points between them.

 

“Like I said before…” Dark replies. “It’s a weak bond. Anyone can put their hands in it if it’s not strong enough.”

 

“Why does that feel so wrong?” Jack frowns.

 

The demon doesn’t answer him and silence falls over them like a blanket. The Irishman only got more questions out of this situation and he sighs, choosing to talk about it the next day. Dark has his eyes closed, but Jack’s not sure if he’s really asleep or just pretending. Either way, he does the same and hopes that his dreams are not about fuchsia orbs blooming in his mind.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with this chapter!!! It definitely made me excited to write more and I can't wait to show you guys the next one! Hope it's being fun. ♥


	5. Chapter 5

_ Jack’s sitting in the middle of a sea of roses and the wind hits his face softly every now and then. He looks around the vast garden he’s in and everything feels like slow motion. The Irishman’s arms feel heavy and his tongue is numb, almost like he’s drunk. The wind is pleasant, somehow helping him to find a little bit of focus whenever the fresh air touches his skin. He hears footsteps crushing the roses and he looks up to see none other than Solomon. _

 

_ The blond-haired man is smiling with his hands in his pockets, the breeze flowing his long white coat elegantly. Jack tries to groan, but finds himself too weak to do so and the demon hums in wonder. The green-haired man looks down at the roses when Solomon gets closer to his face, trying to avoid his fuchsia eyes. Jack hears him click his tongue and he feels sick when the blond-haired man touches his neck, keeping him still just by the atmosphere he carries. _

 

_ “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers. “Did you know that?” _

 

_ Jack chews the inside of his cheek and Solomon yanks his hair with sudden strength to make him look up. The green-haired man gasps in pain, exposing his neck to the being and his dizziness gets worse when they lock their gaze. Jack’s breathing is shallow and he struggles to keep his eyes open. Solomon seems satisfied with whatever he sees and the green-haired man can’t bring himself to move when the demon breathes down on his neck, nose brushing on his porcelain skin. _

 

_ The human shivers. _

 

_ “Dark is silly to think that you belong to him,” he sighs. “He owes me dearly, you know? So I think you’ll work just fine… He needs to pay his debts, after all...” _

 

_ When Solomon licks his neck, Jack uses all his willpower to scream Dark’s name at the top of lungs. He screams the other demon’s name over and over, until this dream world begins to fall apart. The roses grow to wrap him like a poisonous snake and the thorns break his skin mercilessly. The green-haired man yells one more time and Solomon glares at him through his eyelashes. _

 

“Jack!”

 

He opens his eyes and sees Dark staring down at him with what looks like concern. Jack’s breathing heavily and his throat is burning like fire. The demon is holding him by the shoulders and the green-haired man frowns, thinking he must have been shaking him. His hair is damp from sweat and he raises his arms to touch Dark’s face in an incoherent moment. There’s a hint of fear in the brunet’s eyes and Jack sobs, relieved to be awake. He pulls the demon into an embrace.

 

“You were screaming…” Dark murmurs into his ear, a little stiff from the sudden hug. “What happened?”

 

The green-haired man can still feel the thorns’ sharp wounds and Solomon’s face burned behind his eyelids. He tightens his grip on Dark’s shoulders and shakes his head, not wanting to talk right away. The brunet sighs and Jack curls even more in bed, both of them waiting for him to calm down.

 

The sun hasn’t come out and the birds are yet sleeping in their nests. The human and the demon stay close to one another until their breathing syncs up, and Jack buries his face in Dark’s neck. The brunet lets the Irishman seek this little bit of comfort. When the first rays of light breach the sky, Jack adjusts himself to look at the brunet properly. There’s a scowl on Dark’s face that the green-haired man wants to sooth away.

 

“Was it him?” the brunet murmurs.

 

“Yeah… Yeah it was.” Jack brushes strands of hair from his forehead and they whisper at each other, as if the house is going to hear their secret. “What’s going to happen?”

 

Dark just stares at him with hazel eyes.

 

“You know...” Jack continues. “I think I hate that guy more now. You are okay.”

 

“You tolerate me.”

 

“Yes,” Jack huffs weakly from under the blankets and Dark doesn’t smile.

 

He moves his arm to rub the back of his neck and they notice the bandage around his wrist, memories from the night before floating back like a bad aftertaste in their mouths. Jack blinks a couple of times and touches the bruise, peeking through the gauze. Dark scowls at him. The green-haired man murmurs that none of this would’ve happened if the brunet haven’t found Jack in the first place.

 

He leaves the bed without looking at Dark’s reaction.

 

 

***

 

 

The rest of the day is filled with uneasiness. Jack’s hair is a mess because he keeps running his fingers through it, and Dark’s as grumpy as he can be. The Irishman really tries to continue his book, that now involves a guide to how to deal with demons as a joke, but the brunet’s aura is throwing him off completely. He’s trying to distract himself so he won’t have another crisis, but apparently it’s not possible in the presence of a sour creature that keeps growling every now and then.

 

“For the love of God, stop doing that! You’re not a dog!” Jack closes his laptop exasperatedly and looks at Dark from across the couch.

 

“I’m thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Solomon.”

 

Jack purses his lips, holding back the urge to scratch the wound. He sighs and thinks about the situation he’s in. “Do you think he’ll come back?” he whispers. “In my dreams?”

 

“Yes. He’ll try.”

 

“Why?” the Irishman tries to understand. “I don’t get it. Dark, what the fuck is going on? What does that even mean?”

 

“Listen to me.” Dark’s tone of voice makes Jack feel like he’s a kid hearing a lecture. “Once Solomon has his eyes on something he wants, he will do anything within his power to get it. I know him. You think _ I  _ am a monster? Boy, you know nothing.”

 

There’s a pause where Jack plays with a thread coming out of his black pants and he purses his lips, knowing that what he’s about to say will upset the demon even more.

 

“He told me you’re hiding things from me.”

 

“I am a demon. What do you expect?”

 

Jack feels angry at his behavior. He’s confused because sometimes he cares for Dark in a way he thought he never would, but other times he just want to punch him right in the face. He pushes all Jack’s buttons like no other. The brunet is infuriating. Ridiculous. Wreckless. The green-haired man glares at nothing and Dark huffs, probably catching his thoughts. Jack tries to create an invisible wall in his mind, in an attempt to protect some of his privacy.

 

“Don’t!” Dark barks at him. “Don’t you dare!”

 

“Then stop reading my fucking mind!”

 

“Again, you think  _ too _ loud! It’s  _ you _ !”

 

Jack groans and throws his hands in the air, getting up from the couch and reaching for his jacket. 

 

“Where are you going?” Dark squints his eyes.

 

“Why do you bother asking if you know what I’m thinking, asshole?”

 

The Irishman slams the front door and walks towards his red truck. He gets inside and turns the key, hearing the old engine coming to life and he drives down the hill. He just needs some  _ space _ and time to _ think, _ away from the demon. He feels Dark’s frustration and something else that he can’t quite point it out, but it soon fades to nothing as he drives further from his house.

 

Jack passes by the town and he leaves the paved road, only stopping when he finds a clearing to park the car. He sighs, listening to nothing but his own thoughts. The green-haired man stares at the steering wheel and thinks about how fucked up his life is right now. Moving to a new place meant starting over for him. But he didn’t know it’d go south so fast. 

 

He thinks about Dark and how they fight like cats and dogs sometimes. Still, the image of the demon sleeping on the grass peacefully is an odd contrast to this madness. There’s something soft within Dark’s heart that he doesn’t show as much as Jack would like him to. The Irishman looks at the bandage on his wrist, carefully brushing his fingertips over it and remembering how upset, how possessive, the brunet was.

 

Jack shivers.

 

They need to get rid of Solomon first. The Irishman will figure out what he’ll do about Dark later. Having two demons on his tail is incredibly overwhelming for someone who didn’t know they existed in the first place. Memories of his mother whispering for him to be careful, because the monsters under his bed might get him, are suddenly twice as scary. Jack drags his hands over his face, feeling exhausted and slightly panicked. An itch he can’t scratch.

 

Jack punches the steering wheel. He screams in the middle of the clearing, letting all his frustration out. He screams just like in his dream, and the green-haired man can almost feel the roses strangling him like before. His throat burns, like claws scratching inside, but he continues to shout over and over until he runs out of breath. Jack leans forward to rest against the steering wheel and waits for his heartbeat to slow down.

 

Hours pass when he decides to turn the car around and deal with his problems. Jack tells himself that running away won’t help in anything. It’ll only make it worse. The old truck moves on the dirt road and he sighs when the town comes to view. Going up the hill, he knits his eyebrows. Jack can tell that Dark is not in the house. 

 

When he walks inside, the floor creaks and no one is waiting for him. He bites on his lips, thinking that Dark probably got upset as well. Jack stands in the middle of the living room, and he closes his eyes to focus on his thoughts and energy. He wants Dark to listen to him, to feel that he came to terms and that they should work together. They need to make their bond stronger, in a way that no other creature will interfere and they can proceed with their lives. Jack lets his feelings flow and he smiles when Dark’s voice fills the room.

 

“Are you certain?”

 

Jack opens his eyes and meets the brunet in front of him. He smiles and nods.

 

“Yeah,” he whispers. “Just… no more fighting, alright?”

 

Dark says he’ll make no promises and Jack snorts. A moment passes and the brunet hums, moving closer to the human.

 

“Dance with me.”

 

“What?”

 

“You said you want to reinforce the bond, correct?” Dark asks and Jack nods. “So… dance with me.”

 

The demon snaps his fingers, not taking his eyes off him, and the Irishman’s lips part in wonder. The room turns gloomy and soft lights appear floating in the air, like fireflies. Stars only for them to see. Jack huffs a laugh, turning around to look at them and adoring the way it sets a comfortable atmosphere. It’s just them surrounded by stars. Dark bows and offers his hand. Jack takes it.

 

A new  [ song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqRq6qF7YgY) starts playing in their head and the green-haired man holds back a smile at how cheesy Dark can actually be. They sway, deliberately in their arms, and time ceases to exist. Jack’s eyes wander to the demon’s face, admiring his strong jaw and his half-moon eyes. Dark seems to do the same, and the Irishman blushes under his gaze. The corner of the brunet’s lips curl into a small smile and Jack thinks he should do that more often.

 

“What’s up with you and this type of music?” Jack mutters. “Are all demons into that?”

 

“Now that’s just stereotyping, kid...” Dark whispers back and the green-haired man laughs. “I find it quite pleasant.”

 

Jack hums and nods, thinking that he doesn’t mind that at all. It makes him feel nostalgic, somehow. Like he misses something he never had in the first place. Dark spins him gently and the lights are a beautiful cloud around them. He looks down at their feet, trying not to step on Dark. The demon lifts Jack’s chin with his finger and something stirs in his heart.  _ Don’t overthink,  _ Dark says in his mind. The green-haired man nods softly and they keep their eyes locked, forgetting about the world for a moment.

 

They spin again and Jack’s back rests against Dark’s chest. The brunet hums the lyrics just like that day in the forest, but the human won’t leave like before. Instead, he lets his eyes close and focuses on their breathing. Dancing feels more natural this time. Jack ends up with his face resting on the crook of Dark’s neck, completely relaxed, and the demon is the one swaying them back and forth. The green-haired man frowns a little, not realizing when he did that. Everything feels captivating and warm. He sighs and Dark shudders.

 

“S’been a while since you restored your HP…” Jack’s words are dragged out and his lips brush on the demon’s skin. His mind is too foggy and his body is limp.

 

“I don’t understand what you mean by that.”

 

“Your energy, you doof.” Jack chuckles. “Isn’t that why you need me or something?”

 

“Indeed,” the brunet murmurs. “Perhaps tonight, when you sleep, I can take care of that.”

 

Dark also tells him that he’d like to enter his dreams again. Protecting him with spells will be a start to avoid Solomon, and he can banish the other demon with his presence in Jack’s sleep. The green-haired man hums, listening to Dark’s voice. They stop moving when the song ends, but they keep somewhat hugging each other and Jack knits his eyebrows, still feeling nostalgic. The burnet nudges him by the shoulder and he finally creates space between them.

 

The lights fade away and the room comes back to life. The magic is gone and Jack doesn’t know how to feel about that. Dark taps softly on his cheek to bring him back to reality and he’s saying something about food. Jack shakes his head and mumbles an answer, going to the kitchen with wobbly legs. The demon is the only one keeping track of time for Jack to eat and honestly, without that, he’d be starving. So he does just that, and he forgets about the wistful feeling from before.

 

He can’t help but feel anxious about seeing Solomon again when he lies down on his bed. The demon carries a certain charm that also screams danger. Jack sighs, adjusting himself under the blankets and waiting for Dark to join. The demon’s oddly quiet after the dance, so Jack assumes he must be worried as well. Dark’s warm hand touches his forehead and Jack braces himself for another night of sleep.

 

_ He feels the roses beneath him and the wind brushes on his skin once more. There’s no sign of Dark and it’s unsettling. The air of this place works like a drug, poisoning him and making him feel dizzy. Jack still can’t move and he sighs when Solomon appears right in front of him. It’s like the dream never ended and the demon repeats the same motion, tilting Jack’s face to expose his neck. The human is leaning back on his knees. Solomon covering him like a blanket. _

 

_ Jack gasps when the blond-haired man kisses his neck, whispering words that he doesn’t want to hear. Solomon keeps saying that Dark is not what he seems and Jack bites on his lips, not sure of what to think. Fuchsia eyes glow and Jack’s transfixed by him. His mouth falls open when the demon bites on his porcelain skin and a shadow overcasts in the sky. _

_ His half-lidded eyes look up, the fogginess in his mind fading when darkness overtakes the sea of roses.  _

 

_ He feels Dark along his back and Jack is overwhelmed by the image of the two demons pressing against his body. Solomon gazes at the other demon and Dark growls, wrapping his arms around Jack’s thin waist. The creatures snarl at each other like wolves, and the brunet’s sharp claws tighten the embrace in a possessive manner. The green-haired man lets out a soft moan and Solomon smirks, whispering that the human is having fun. He’s not. Jack feels high and everything is incredibly slow in this dream. He just wants Solomon to go away. _

 

_ Jack frowns, noticing that Dark’s shadow is different from the corner of his eye. He does his best to tilt his head slightly to the right, and he gasps at the sight of a pair of black wings. They’re fully stretched and their stance shows that Dark’s ready to attack Solomon if something happens. Jack’s heart skips a beat at the image of his demon and they both glare at the intruder. Solomon chuckles and tries to pull Jack with him, but Dark flaps his wings and growls. The sound is like thunder to Jack’s ears. The green-haired man wraps his own arms around the brunet’s, trying to find something to ground himself. _

 

_ Solomon hums and he walks away, hiding between the roses. Jack only sees fuchsia orbs for a moment and when Dark roars another threat, they disappear. The green-haired man sighs, feeling like he can move again and his mind is clear. The brunet is still holding him by the waist and Jack can hear his rumbling in the back of his throat. The Irishman turns around to calm him down. _

 

_ His black wings come to embrace them gently, and the roses are replaced by daisies. _

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's cliché but bOY, I couldn't wait to reveal that Dark has wings! Wing Kink it is, yall.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack blinks, slowly walking up and rubbing his eyes. He sighs into the pillow and notices that there’s a weight over his stomach. Jack’s hand moves to find Dark’s arm, wrapping him by the waist just like in the dream. The demon is pressed against his back, face buried in Jack’s neck and deep asleep. The green-haired man gains a shade of red at their proximity, but lets the brunet sleep a little more. He stays still, feeling the warmth emanating from the creature, and trying to keep his heart steady whenever Dark’s breathing tickles his neck.

 

He blushes even more when he remembers the dream properly. Jack between the two demons, Solomon biting down on his neck and Dark holding him so tight. The Irishman holds back a groan, cursing the creatures for playing with him in such ways. Pushing that thought aside, he’s just glad that Dark managed to banish Solomon this time. The question if he’s going to return, remains unanswered.

 

The brunet hums in his sleep and pulls Jack even closer to him, their legs entwining. Dark’s wings come to his mind, feathers pitch black like a night without stars. It’s something he definitely didn’t think about. It was surprisingly beautiful, ethereal. Jack wants to keep that striking image forever behind his eyelids.

 

He senses Dark stirring himself awake through their bond and Jack bites on his lips, not knowing how he’ll react to their position right now. The brunet grumbles and shakes his head softly. His nose brushes on Jack’s neck, making a giggle escape the Irishman’s lips. Dark freezes and, after a moment, his arms leave the human’s waist. Jack ignores the hint of disappointment in his heart and moves to sit up.

 

“Good morning,” he says in a way to break the ice.

 

“Morning...” Dark answers in a raspy voice and he’s staring at the ceiling, hands resting on his own stomach. His hair is messy from sleep and his shirt is slightly rolled up, happy trail in sight. Jack nods, trying to keep it cool.

 

Silence stretches in the room and the Irishman whistles, feeling awkward. He mumbles something about making breakfast and he leaves the bed without looking back. Dark stays in the room, deep in thought. Jack distracts himself by making pancakes and he takes a large gulp of coffee. This time, he doesn’t jump when Dark appears next to him. Jack just places a mug in his hands, and his eyes flicker at the sleepy figured.

 

Dark keeps his eyes down, not looking at Jack yet. The brunet’s still wearing his formal white shirt, crumpled with a few buttons open that reveals a tan collarbone. Jack bites hard on his pancake and pushes a plate towards the demon, watching him drink and eat deliberately. He huffs when the brunet pours maple syrup excessively on his food. When Jack pictures himself pulling that loose tie from Dark’s neck, he chokes on his coffee and that catches the brunet’s attention. The human clears his throat to say something.

 

“So…” Jack pushes a few strands of green hair away from his eyes. “Cotton candy guy…?”

 

When Dark looks up to see him, a scowl immediately takes over his face and he grunts. The fork in his hand literally bends with the amount of strength he uses, and the human exclaims.

 

“Dude, what the hell?!”

 

“He left a mark on your neck,” Dark murmurs.

 

The Irishman touches his neck unconsciously, and he gets up to look at himself in the bathroom mirror, only to find out that the demon is right. There’s a hickey on the left side of his neck, a shade of red that it’ll soon become purple. Jack’s mouth falls open and he comes back into the kitchen, sitting across from Dark and feeling embarrassed. The human’s sure that he’s as red as a tomato right now and the demon keeps glaring at the mark.

 

“O-Oh… I see…” Jack says, the tip of his ears burning hot. “Is he coming back? Please, tell me that he’s not coming back…”

 

“Solomon is very important, I myself _respected_ him a lot.” The green-haired man perks up at his explanation. “No one is allowed to use their powers at that club, kid. That place works like a safe-zone for other beings to make contracts or just have a good time. But he decided to choose _you_ for entertainment that night. He was the one that broke the rule first.” Dark’s tone of voice turns harsh the more he continues to explain. “That being said… If Solomon touches you again, I’ll fucking kill him with my bare hands. Does that answer your question?”

 

“Y-Yes...” Jack swallows and nods. “Yes, it does.”

 

“Good.”

 

 

***

 

 

There’s a rose in the house.

 

Jack scowls at the flower resting on the kitchen window. Its light pink petals and thorns bring disgust to Jack’s face, and he doesn’t know how the fuck Solomon got inside. _If_ he really was inside in the first place. Dark would’ve known if he had come here physically, for sure. Jack purses his lips and he takes a lighter out of the drawer. The green-haired man picks up the rose, and without any hesitation, he flickers the lighter until fire engulfs the flower. Jack watches the flames burn the beautiful pink petals and he sighs, dumping it under the sink so the fire won’t spread to his hand.

 

He throws the burned rose into the garbage disposal and he presses the button, hearing it being torn into pieces. The green-haired man walks upstairs and lights a cigarette for himself, placing it between his lips. Dark’s not around, so he won’t hear him complaining about the fact that Jack’s ruining his lungs. When the human questioned him why would he care, since he’s a demon, Dark said his vitality would be compromised. Meaning that the brunet only cares about his power being at the very best. Jack sighs again, rubbing his temples.

 

He touches the mark on his neck, hating it. The human drags off his cigarette, letting the smoke spread in his lungs before letting it all out. Jack’s vision swims a little, a sign that the small drug is kicking in. He opens his window after a while and sits on his desk to write some more of his stories. Jack takes a sip of coffee from his mug and he grimaces, realizing it’s already cold and old.

 

Night comes and the last ashes from the cigarette fall from his hand. Jack’s eyes flicker to the forest and a wave of dread hits him when he notices someone between the pine trees, a shadow that does not belong to Dark. Jack gets up to look better and the white suit is unmistakable to his eyes.

 

Solomon.

 

“Dark!” the Irishman shouts and the demon appears next to him in no time. He looks at him in alarm, pointing at the trees. “H-He… He’s here!”

 

When the brunet turns to look down at the forest, Solomon is already gone and Jack sucks on air. He blinks several times and tries not to panic once again. Dark touches his wrist, grounding him. The human looks around as if the blond-haired man will show up at any moment. Paranoia crawls into his skin and he remembers how he felt with Dark in the beginning, how crazy and tired he felt.

 

“I swear I just saw him… He was right there,” he whispers. “God… I don’t need this again…”

 

“I believe in you, kid,” Dark murmurs. “I’ll cast a protection spell around the house. Do not go to the forest. Do you understand?” His eyes flicker to the purple mark on Jack’s neck to his face. There’s a possessive feeling hovering over them and the green-haired man just nods.

 

Jack tells him about the rose in the cabin and the demon glares at the trees.

 

“Make me dream about daisies,” the human mumbles. “I’ve never despised roses so much in my fucking life.”

 

“As you wish.”

 

 

***

 

 

Jack has to use a scarf in the middle of summer. It was the only way to make Dark stop sending him looks. He huffs, feeling stupid at the grocery store. Luckily, not many people are there right now, so Jack does his best to buy items from his list without any rush. When he raises his hand to pick up a box of cereal, Dark’s voice comes to his mind and it startles him.

 

_Don’t buy that._

 

The Irishman’s eyes widen when he looks at a surveillance mirror and sees that his right eye changed color. It’s now hazel, the red ring around it is the same shade of the demon’s. Jack purses his lips, realizing that Dark’s watching through his eyes. He turns to look at the box of cereal and walks away, pushing the cart along.

 

 _Fine,_ Jack thinks, _what do you want?_

 

_Something that is actually healthy._

 

The human huffs and he spots some fruits at the other side of the aisle. He can feel Dark’s approval when he picks up an apple and Jack rolls his eyes. When he’s at the cashier, the Irishman bites on his lips and asks for a new pack of cigarettes to the lady. She turns to open the small panel where the cigarettes are kept and she places on the counter. Dark grumbles.

 

“Oh, shut up!” Jack complains out loud without thinking.

 

The lady looks at him with concern and the Irishman blushes, apologizing. She gazes at his eyes and Jack ducks his head, hoping she doesn’t question the sudden change of colors. If anything, the green-haired man can say he has heterochromia and just brush it off. He sighs in relief when she stays quiet and he leaves the store feeling embarrassed, hugging his scarf.

 

Dark is on the backyard again, and Jack is starting to think that that’s becoming his favorite place. Either that or he’s watching for the other demon. He’s sitting on the grass, with the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up and wearing no vest. It’s the most informal thing Jack’s ever seen regarding the brunet. It feels somewhat intimate. Dark’s allowing the Irishman to see him this way. Jack takes off his shoes on the porch, feeling the dirt beneath his feet when he walks towards the demon.

 

Dark extends his hand in the air without looking at Jack. The human places the apple on his hand and the demon makes a knife appears so he can cut the fruit. The Irishman thinks it’s funny that Dark started eating after that pasta he made for them. He doesn’t have to, but it makes him look more human either way. When he offers a piece of the apple, the green-haired man pictures the snake of Eden before him. Dark grins.

 

Jack stares at him with awe and opens his mouth so the demon can give him a slice. Dark brushes his fingers on his bottom lip, and the contrast of the cold knife against the Irishman’s skin sends him goosebumps. When the brunet puts his hand down, Jack chews the sweet fruit and Dark cuts another piece to feed him. They stay silent and close to one another, arms touching whenever one of them would pick another slice and place into their mouths. There’s something enchanting in the demon’s eyes and Jack can’t stop looking at him. Butterflies flapping in his lungs.

 

The sweet juice of the fruit drips down Jack’s chin and Dark hums, leaning forward. The Irishman’s heart beats rapidly and he doesn’t move when the demon licks his chin, their stubble brushing lightly. Dark’s warm tongue traces his lips and Jack gasps softly, closing his eyes to get lost in this daze. Their mouths touch and they breathe the same air. It’s not exactly a kiss, but both of them let their feelings flow through their bond. Jack feels completely overwhelmed and he shivers.

 

Dark pulls the scarf from him, and the green-haired man bites on his lips when the demon trails butterfly kisses down his neck. Jack tilts his head and holds the brunet by the shoulders. Dark grunts and plants a hard kiss over Solomon’s fading mark. The Irishman moans shyly and they fall on the grass, daisies on Jack’s hair. The setting sun casts an ethereal light that surrounds Dark’s body and Jack brings him closer. Their legs tangle and his toe curls when the demon leaves love bites all over his neck, down to his collarbone.

 

Jack caresses the brunet’s hair and he wonders if this is a fever dream. He holds Dark’s face and sucks on his bottom lip, tasting the sweetness of it. The brunet groans and finally kisses him roughly, opening his mouth and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Jack moans and sighs, grasping onto Dark’s hair and losing his breath. His muscles tense up whenever the demon’s hands touch his body and he rests them on his hips.

 

Dark keeps coming back to cover Solomon’s mark, and it makes Jack smile. He tugs on the demon’s shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons, and the brunet sits up briefly to get rid of it. Jack touches his tan skin and he drowns at the beautiful sight before his eyes. Dark rolls up the Irishman’s shirt and traces his happy trail with his mouth, making Jack squirm beneath him. The demon smiles and removes his shirt, Jack’s pale skin glowing like a fire under the sunset.

 

The demon presses his hands on Jack’s ass cheeks, so they can rut against each other. The human gasps, and the image of Solomon observing them between the trees comes to his mind. Dark shushes him and tells him not to worry, that he’s safe with him. Jack nods slowly after a moment, trusting the demon. Dark holds him dearly and Jack buries his face in the crook of his neck, shameless moving his own hips against the brunet to feel pleasure. There’s a growl rumbling in Dark’s chest and some leaves get stuck on Jack’s hair.

 

Jack’s sapphire eyes turn pitch black when he sees Dark’s wings, and he’s consumed by the demon’s beauty. The brunet stretches his wings, casting a welcome shadow over the human, and red eyes gaze at him. The Irishman doesn’t think twice before touching them, grabbing a fist full of feathers and Dark moans. They thrust faster, and the human gasps when Dark pulls him to sit on his lap. Their lips meet again and the demon unbuttons Jack’s pants so he can jerk him off.

 

Jack feels lightheaded, the warmth below his stomach growing with each thrust. The demon’s calloused fingers tighten their grip around his cock and the human leaks pre-cum, whimpering and breathing sharply. The Irishman thrusts into Dark’s hand over and over, curling his toes and scratching the demon’s back.

 

“Oh, f-fuck...” he breathes.

 

“I missed this…” Dark mumbles, moving Jack’s face to plant sloppy kisses.

 

The green-haired man throws his head back when he comes, mouth open to the sky and his black eyes match the demon’s wings perfectly. They close around them like a protective blanket and Dark bites on Jack’s neck, coming into his pants. The Irishman shudders, spasms of his orgasm still hitting him like electricity. They rub their cheeks, breathing heavily and peaking on each other’s lips every now and then. Jack’s eyes turn back to normal, slowly coming down of his ecstasy.

 

Dark removes his hand, cleaning his fingers with his tongue. He hugs Jack tight, arms around his waist that keep him still. It’s like the demon’s afraid that he will disappear and Jack wants to assure him that he won’t go anywhere. The Irishman knits his eyebrows, realizing what actually happened between them. He sighs and kisses the demon’s cheek.

 

“I hate you so much…” Jack whispers into his ear, but there’s no bite in his tone of voice.

 

The demon smiles and leans forward to capture their lips together. Jack kisses him back and his eyes wander through the forest, in fear to find a man wearing a white suit with fuchsia eyes. He finds nothing but pine trees.

 

It unsettles him.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJxoVkPZAUA) is not on the playlist bc I already have two songs of AURORA hah, but just thought about leaving it here. It's just perfect for the atmosphere.  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

Jack stares at the pine trees.

 

He hugs himself, feeling a small chill run down his spine, and the forest seems darker than before. The Irishman is sitting on the porch, his sketchbook closed next to him, and he tugs on the long sleeves of his black shirt. The wind makes his hair blow softly, hitting his forehead. Jack ducks his head, touching the fresh marks on his neck. He flushes, remembering about yesterday. Dark pressing down against him and sucking on his bottom lip.

 

Jack traces his thumb over his mouth, heart fluttering. He shakes his head, covering his face with his hands and thinking about the mess he put himself into. The green-haired man remembers how the demon took care of him afterwards and how they shared another comfortable silence, as if everything was perfectly normal. But developing affection towards a creature of Hell is not normal at all. Anxiety crawls under his skin, scratching the back of his skull. A ghostly whisper.

 

The human also remembers Dark disappearing into thin air early this morning when he asked for some time to think by himself. The house doesn’t creak, it’s quiet and colder than before. Jack imagines the grass beneath him entwining his legs, pulling him into the ground so he can also disappear and not deal with his problems. He huffs, feeling like a child once again.

 

_“Jack!”_

 

The Irishman perks up, looking around with wide eyes when he hears his name being shouted. He stands up when he hears it again and his heart skips to his throat, realizing it’s Dark’s voice. The demon sounds desperate and Jack tries to sense him. There’s conflict in their bond and the human steps forward, looking back at the house and then at the trees. Did he enter the forest to seek out the other demon? What if he’s hurt? What if…

 

_“Jack! Jack!”_

 

The green-haired man curses out loud and runs towards the trees as fast as he can. Jack screams Dark’s name, looking for him. Birds fly from their home and deer run away, scared by the noises that the human makes. Another scream, and the Irishman stops to pay attention to what direction it’s coming from. He turns to the right and twigs break under his feet. Jack’s eyes find a black figure in the distance and he lets out a shaky breath when he recognizes Dark’s frame.

 

The demon is on his knees, holding himself together, and there’s blood running down his mouth. Jack falls in front of him and touches his face with trembling hands.

 

“D-Dark... W-What the... What…?” Jack stutters, panic preventing him from talking.

 

The brunet’s laugh is alarming to his ears, and the Irishman looks at him only to see rose-colored eyes instead of crimson. Jack’s shaky hands threaten to fall and his breathing becomes erratic, pupils dilating. The smile behind blood sends shivers down his spine and the suit becomes pure white. Then, Solomon is the one in front of him and Jack feels a sudden anger boiling inside him. He shouts, showing his teeth and pushing the blond-haired man by his clothes with all his strength.

 

“You motherfucker!” Jack screams while slamming Solomon against a tree, leaves falling around them. The demon lets out a huff with the impact and he looks somewhat surprised. “Get out of my fucking life!”

 

The demon laughs again and Jack glares, hating himself for falling for his tricks. Solomon shrugs, not bothered that he’s being held by the human.

 

“I just wanted to catch your attention, darling,” he says. “Dark was keeping you all for himself.”

 

“The fuck do you want?!” Jack knocks him again against the tree and Solomon raises his hands.

 

“Calm down, love. I’m only here to show you something.”

 

“I don’t want _anything_ from you!”

 

Solomon’s eyes shine and his devilish smile screams danger. “Don’t you want to know what Dark hides from you?” The demon whispers and Jack breathes heavily, watching him with blue eyes. “You do. Release me and I’ll tell you this little secret.”

 

The Irishman’s hands clench, grasping onto his suit. He grinds his teeth and lets go of Solomon with wary eyes, curiosity getting the best of him. The demon fixes his formal jacket and adjusts the flower in his pocket.

 

“I may be a dream demon like him, but I have something that Dark does not have control of,” Solomon speaks with a shit-eating grin. “Memories.” Jack frowns and the blond-haired man continues. “I can bloom memories buried deep down in a person’s mind, love. I can show them _everything_. All their lives. All their sins. Anything you want.”

 

“What does that have to do with me and Dark?”

 

“Oh, little bud…” Solomon tucks some strands of Jack’s hair behind his ear, and the human jerks away. “Contrary to what you think of us demons, we do actually care. And I lost someone I cared deeply about, you see? Your Dark’s responsible for that… and I’d _love_ to see him suffer just like I did.”

 

The human gasps when Solomon touches his forehead, thumb pressing lightly on his skin. Jack’s eyes roll back and his body freezes, going into a trance. He can still hear the demon talking to him and his breathing becomes shallow, just like in the dreams.

 

“And you…” the blond-haired man murmurs. “You’ll be perfect to hurt him, given all the history between you two. I just want to see chaos, darling. That’s all.”

 

Jack’s mouth falls open in a silent scream when millions of images invade his mind, exactly like when Dark first touched him. The Irishman sees himself in different times, different houses and families. There are memories of him with brown hair, dancing in a ballroom, surrounded by people in fancy outfits. He sees Dark smiling down at him through a crow mask, and there’s that nostalgic feeling from before. Another memory where the demon has long hair, tied up in a low ponytail, and he’s kissing Jack’s hand. He sees them on a beach on New Year’s, running towards the water, and Dark’s red hair glows in the night like a personal crown. Sometimes the human’s blind, sometimes he’s a woman. But in every one of them, Dark is with him.

 

The green-haired man feels like there are stars inside his body, burning him under the skin. His head and chest hurt so fucking badly, he forgets how to breathe. A whine escapes his lips, and it sounds like a dying animal. He feels blood run down his nose while he drowns in the memories of his past lives. Jack thinks he hears Solomon laugh at one point and he chokes when the demon disappears, releasing him from this trance. The human’s eyes focus on nothing and he falls on his knees with heavy limbs.

 

Drool drips down from his open mouth and Jack’s blank look burns a hole in the ground. There are thousands of people screaming in his head, different names and personalities tangling like a spider web. He can’t bring himself to move, because it feels like the world will crush him right here and now. His head’s throbbing. Jack’s heartbeat is pulsing erratically, and more blood begins to run down from his ears and nose. The Irishman sobs and chokes on his own saliva, trying to compose himself when the rustle inside him diminishes.

 

Jack gets up with wobbly legs, supporting himself against the tree. There’s fury and despair inside him, something inhuman taking the place of his heart. The green-haired man walks with heavy steps back to the wooden cabin, tripping over the trees, and Jack lets his terror call Dark by itself. When he sees the brunet on the porch, his face is unreadable, Jack screams at the top of his lungs. He points at the demon, looking like a maniac with all the blood dripping down from his face.

 

“YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME!”

 

Dark backs away, shadows consuming him when he gets inside the house. Jack sucks in air, feeling a panic attack coming. He feels like a fucking mess. He shakes his head when he gets inside, dragging his hands over his head and smearing blood off his cheek. Dark stays uncharacteristically quiet, feeling Jack’s conflict. The human begins to cry when more memories flash behind his eyelids and Dark looks away.

 

“Y-You’ve been around all this fucking t-time. You just _control_ my life, don’t you?!” Jack speaks hysterically. “How m-many times did you ruin my life?!”

 

“I do not…” Dark murmurs, clenching his hands. “I do not control your life. And I haven’t lied to you.”

 

“But you didn’t tell the whole truth… You were avoiding it.” The green-haired man paces around the living room, mumbling to himself and putting all the pieces together. The longing feeling that actually comes from Dark, and everything that he said about missing him before. “You… I have a demon that comes after me in all my incarnations. T-This is sick. Oh god… I’m going to Hell, aren’t I? I probably a-always end up there anyway...”

 

“Ja-”

 

“Fuck you!” he shouts when Dark tries to come closer. “I have a bunch of people _screaming_ in my head right now because of _you!_ Don’t you dare fucking touch me again! I want you to go!”

 

“Fucking hell, kid! Solomon is doing this to tear us apart! This is exactly what he wants!” the brunet growls, throwing his hands in the air.

 

“GET OUT!” Jack yells again and panic shows in Dark’s eyes for the first time. They lock their eyes and there’s a moment of silence.

 

The demon runs towards Jack, grabbing him by the wrists. The human pushes him away, but he feels weak and his emotions are all over the place. Fat tears fall down his face mixed with his own blood and he whimpers, wanting all of this to be over. He never asked for this. Jack doesn’t want any of this. Dark looks like he’s about to cry himself and the green-haired man sobs when Dark falls on his knees, wrapping Jack’s legs in his arms.

 

“Please…” the demon begs and he glitches. “Jack… Don’t do this…”

 

“Go away…” Jack whispers. “I w-want you out of this house… I don’t want you to come back… _Please,_ Dark!”

 

The brunet ducks his head and the Irishman hears him whimper. Dark glitches more, and it feels like an invisible force starts dragging him out of the room. He groans, releasing Jack and sinking his claws into the floor. The green-haired man watches him be cast away, his nails marking his path and his crimson eyes glowing. There’s a hole in the human’s chest when Dark disappears. Jack hyperventilates.

 

He runs upstairs and opens the drawer of his desk, shakily grabbing his medication and swallowing it down with no water. Jack grips the table edge with his hands until his knuckles turn white and he breathes. In and out. In and out. In and out. There’s a moment when he stares at his body and frowns, dissociating from reality. Jack sits down on the floor and rests his head against the bed, half-lidded eyes gazing at the ceiling.

 

Jack feels a hand touching his shoulder and he doesn’t flinch at all, feeling worn out. It’s Solomon, of course. The human assumes that, since he expelled Dark, there are no more protections against the blond-haired man. Jack doesn’t bat an eye at him and the demon smirks, knowing that he got what he wanted. Solomon snaps his fingers and Jack doesn’t protest when he sees the nightclub again. It’s empty, but he sees Eleanor leaving the counter to look at them.

 

“What did you do?!” Eleanor exclaims, scanning Jack up and down in horror. “Solomon!”

 

“Clean him up and arrange a room for our guest,” he says and leaves them instead.

 

The moment Solomon releases him, Jack falls again to the ground and Eleanor comes to aid him. The human weeps, and Eleanor on the right holds his shoulders while the other caresses his cheeks. They stand up to get a handkerchief from behind the counter and then they softly clean his face. Jack feels like a child.

 

“Oh, poor thing…” the blonde girls murmur. “What did he do you?” They clean the snot from his nose and, at any other moment, Jack would feel completely embarrassed by that. But right now, he’s never been so exhausted in his entire life.

 

“Eleanor…” he whispers, not quite present. His voice hoarse. “Tell me… How can a void in our chest hurt _so_ much?”

 

They look at the each other and then send him a sad look.

 

The conjoined twins take Jack to a private room at the end of the club and they wait for him to sit on the rounded bed. The red silky sheets shine below the chandelier in the middle of the room. He lets his shoulders fall and he stares at the black and white tiles, wishing to crumble like dust again. Eleanor purses their lips and they kneel in front of Jack, since he doesn’t show any sign of looking up. Somehow, they remind the human of his sisters.

 

“Jack… You have to be careful with Solomon,” the one on the left whispers. “We don’t know what exactly happened to you, but please… You have to listen to us.”

 

The green-haired man tries to focus his eyes on them and they give him a reassuring smile.

 

“When you walked in here that night, somehow we all knew who you were.” They tell him with a smile, as if that’s fascinating to them, and Jack knits his eyebrows slightly. “You have a soul that can keep a demon on a leash. Dark always seeks you out, and no one understands exactly why he keeps doing that to himself. It can be very painful for a demon, you know.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Dark’s been avoiding Solomon for a long time now,” they continue instead. “Solomon wants to destroy Dark after what he did to his pupil. If he breaks you… the same will happen to your demon. Do you understand? You’ve got to be strong, alright?”

 

“I’m so fucking confused,” Jack shakes his head.

 

“We’re so sorry, but we’ve got to go now… He can’t know that we’re telling you all of this.”

 

“W-Where are you going?”

 

“Don’t worry. We can take care of ourselves.” They smile and both of them press a kiss on Jack’s forehead.

 

He watches them walk away, thinking that this is probably the last time he’ll see them. The Irishman feels the hole inside him grow even more, and the feeling of being watched is absolutely unsettling. Jack’s eyelids are heavy and he touches his neck, knowing that the demon’s marks are still there. He groans and drags his hands over his face, feeling distraught. It’s weird to think that his life is already somewhat determined, that he’ll always have the demon as a shadow. Even if he’s not physically present right now, Dark’s in his thoughts. Jack narrows his eyes, realizing that he can’t feel the brunet through their bond anymore.

 

Jack can’t help but tap into his old memories again. He sees them dancing, surrounded by candle lights. The Irishman is wearing a dark blue suit and a long coat with golden buttons. Dark’s wearing red, hair pulled back, and his buttons are made out of silver. Jack sees himself bowing to the demon and offering his hand. They dance as if two pieces of a puzzle came together, and the people around them stop to look at the beautiful couple. The image of them making out in a dark hallway appears in his mind and they laugh at each other, trying to be silent. Jack lets out a shaky breath, coming back to the red room he’s in.

 

The Irishman never saw Dark flash a smile like that before.

 

He touches his lips, feeling the ghostly kiss from the memory. Jack lies down in bed and pulls his legs up so he can hug them, curling into a ball. There’s no way to know what time of the day it is, so Jack closes his eyes and pretends he’s back at the wooden cabin. Eleanor’s words hover in his mind, telling him to be careful and strong. The Irishman’s not sure if he can do that.

 

The only way to disconnect from this place is to fall asleep and Jack lets all his anger slip away through his fingers, choosing to calm down. The butterflies in his lungs are not flapping their wings anymore, and Jack hears all the echoes of his lives whispering to him. There are wounds in his heart that needs to heal, so he doesn’t fight the sleep that comes to him. Darkness consumes him. It feels like he’s sinking down into the mattress and he doesn’t care if he’ll see flowers in his dream again.

 

Jack sighs and falls asleep.

 

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: I don't want to give spoilers, but I also don't want to trigger anyone so proceed with caution ♥

_ There’s darkness surrounding him and his blue eyes only find a void. The place is not unfamiliar. There’s that same pressure on his chest, but he doesn’t feel nauseous this time. A weak sigh escapes Jack’s lips _ _ and _ _ he blinks lazily, turning around so he can lie on his back in the pitch-black world. He stays there, chest moving up and down with his shallow breathing. At least he’s not dreaming about roses. _

 

_ “You’re stubborn…” he whispers. _

 

_ A voice echoes around the place, rumbling, and Jack sighs once more. _

 

_ “Jack…” The Irishman holds back a whimper at hearing Dark, feelings blossoming in his heart. “I can not help you like this. You have to let me in.” _

 

_ “Why are you still here? After everything I said?” _

 

_ “You will die.” _

 

_ “And you’ll find me again anyway, so why do you even bother?” Jack knits his eyebrows and there’s a pause. Dark’s quiet and the green-haired man feels horrible for snapping at the demon so many times. Jack frowns more at himself, trying to think. He remembers Dark smiling in that dim hallway, whispering words of affection, and he feels safe for a moment. “Dark… Do you like me?” _

 

_ Silence. _

 

_ “How come you fall in love with me over and over?” Jack whispers, staring at the shadow world. _

 

_ The green-haired man sits up to hug himself. He can’t deny the fondness that passes through him as he pictures Dark lying down in the backyard with the morning light bathing his skin. His breathing slow and steady, the wind blowing his hair and the daisies surrounding him. The moment Jack’s heart decided to beat for the demon. It’s horrible to think that Dark went through all his deaths. The green-haired man is starting to understand why the brunet can be so cold sometimes. Eleanor said that it can be painful, to follow a soul so many times. The mourning of it all. _

 

_ “I can’t.” Jack shakes his head. “I can’t do this. It’s too much. It hurts.” _

 

_ “Of all the times I saw you fall in love with me,” Dark sighs, “this has certainly been the most difficult one, given the circumstances that we’re in.” _

 

_ The Irishman huffs and a small grin shows on his face. They are a mess. _

 

_ “Jack, I-” _

 

The green-haired man wakes up in alarm, and sees that Solomon interrupted his sleep by clapping his hands. He has a smile that Jack wants to rip off his face. The Irishman glares at him, feeling more like himself again. The demon comes closer to the bed, his rose-colored eyes following him. Jack thinks about what Dark was about to say and he curses mentally.

 

“Did Dark pay you a visit? He did, didn’t he? Did you tell him where you were?” he asks, and Jack keeps his mouth shut. Solomon hums. “It matters not. He’ll come anyway, whether you like it or not.”

 

Jack’s mouth forms a thin line, worried about what’s yet to come. Solomon snaps his fingers and the human gasps when vines wrap around his wrists and ankles, trapping him in bed. The thorns sink into his skin and Jack groans, trying to get away from them. The more he moves, the deeper the thorns cut his porcelain skin. His heart races when the demon leans down to stare at him, humming whenever Jack squirms. A vine comes to wrap around his neck and the green-haired man lets out sharp breaths, feeling claustrophobic.

 

“Until then, let’s have some fun… After all, I need to keep my guest entertained,” the blond-haired man smiles, as he sits next to Jack, watching him.

 

The Irishman feels vines moving up his legs and his eyes widen when the sharp thorns approach his stomach. He wriggles and the demon murmurs that he will be slow, wanting to see the human’s agony. Jack grinds his teeth when the thorns cut his stomach, ripping pieces of his shirt and creeping up to his chest. His whole body is covered by spikes and Jack’s eyes fill with water at how much it stings. Blood drips down onto the sheets and Jack has a thin line of sweat forming on his forehead.

 

Solomon smiles and leans forward. The green-haired man turns his head to the other side, but the demon holds his chin strongly and presses a kiss to Jack’s lips. The human grimaces and tries shaking his head, groaning. Solomon buries his nails in his skin, forcing the human to open his mouth, and his tongue slides down his throat. Tears fall from Jack’s face and the blond-haired man grins, breaking the kiss with a string of saliva. 

 

The Irishman shudders and turns his face away. There’s a tingling sensation overtaking his body and he scowls, catching Solomon’s attention. When the demon tells him that there’s poison on his lips that will paralyze him, more tears threaten to fall. Jack’s lips quiver, holding a whimper. He’ll not scream, he doesn’t want to give the demon the satisfaction. The thorns part for Solomon when he moves on top of the human, the vines just holding Jack by the wrists. The demon’s shadowed breath against his cheek is unwelcome. Jack clenches his hands, trying to break the vine, but he’s starting to lose strength already.

 

“Don’t worry, love. You won’t be able to move at all, but you’ll feel  _ everything _ .”

 

The words that Solomon whispers in his ear cast fear into his heart and there’s nothing he can do. Jack stares off at the other side of the room, eyes losing focus while the blond-haired man starts kissing his neck. The cuts sting whenever the demon touches them with his tongue. Jack feels his stomach fold when Solomon palms him through his jeans. He has to swallow his own vomit, so he won’t puke on himself. But then he regrets it, thinking he could’ve disgusted the demon instead.

 

He thinks about Dark.

 

It feels weird not sensing him anymore and Jack wishes he had kissed him one last time. He thinks about the brunet’s sleepy face when he first tried to dream. The way he stumbled back to the house. How can such a creature be so enticing? Jack closes his eyes for a moment. Pretending it’s Dark above him would only make things worse. His demon wouldn’t do this to him. And since when had the green-haired man started thinking of him as  _ his? _ It sounds appropriate, nonetheless.

 

Jack recalls how angry he was before, but Dark was right. Solomon was using him to tear them apart, to get what he wanted. The Irishman feels foolish, especially after coming to terms with his past memories. Everything just settled down and he never felt so loved as before. The way they smiled at the demon, warm eyes shining like he’s the moon. Jack lets a sigh escape his lips, thinking that this is all his fault. Solomon glares, and the sound of his hand hitting his cheek fills the air. The Irishman’s face turns to the other side after the slap, his cheek burning.

 

“You’re not paying attention, darling,” he says and ruts his hips onto Jack’s. The human closes his eyes in disgust. “Should I do the same thing that Dark did? Would you like that? Or do you want to be taken from behind?”

 

Jack does his best to move his throat, gathering saliva to spit on Solomon’s face. The demon laughs.

 

“My pupil would’ve liked you as well,” he explains, cleaning off the spit. “If it wasn’t for your stupid dog, he’d still be here. That boy would’ve changed the world we live in. There was so much power inside him,” he shakes his head and fuchsia eyes shine with rage. “Dark took him from me. So I’ll take his human in return.”

 

A thorn appears out of the corner of Jack’s eye and he stares at it, watching with harsh breaths. Solomon wraps one hand around his neck while the other keeps pushing his right eyelid up. Jack feels panic crawl under his skin and he tries to fidget under the demon in vain, body frozen from the poison of Solomon’s lips.

 

“What do you humans say? An eye for an eye?” the demon mutters.

 

Jack’s chest hurts from the speed of his heartbeat and when he feels the spike beginning to pierce his right eye, he just  _ screams _ . Blood and tears fall, mixing down his face. The sharp thorn sinks into his iris and Jack fucking screams his lungs out. The pain the Irishman feels makes him nauseous again and his throat burns with the screaming. Solomon is laughing in the background and the thorn keeps going deeper and deeper. Jack manages to see his own blood splashing on the demon’s face, and the spike starts moving down his cheek, leaving red scars.

 

Jack thinks about Dark again and he cries in pain. The green-haired man sobs, somewhat awkwardly because he can’t move. Solomon sneers and licks some of the blood from his face. He’s breaking. Jack’s being torn apart and Eleanor’s words seem very distant now. He remembers his dream, wishing to be back in that pitch-black world. Anywhere, away from this creature. Dark’s nothing like him.  _ At all _ . His Dark is not low like this. Dark.

 

_ Dark. _

 

Jack uses the last of his strength to shout the brunet’s name, like the first time he dreamed of Solomon. The blond-haired man squints his eyes and the human tries to open his mind for the demon once again. He shouts one last time to the void and it’s quiet after that. Solomon looks around, waiting for something. Jack saddens when nothing happens and the demon shakes his head, tightening his grip around the human’s neck and strangling him. The Irishman stares at the ceiling with a blank expression, waiting for death to come. Perhaps, he can make things up in his next life.

 

Jack’s eye rolls back, losing his breath and Solomon watches him intently. There’s a sudden breeze that makes their hair flow. The demon stops choking him to look across the room and the Irishman follows his gaze, with his good and only eye. The sight of Dark brings so many emotions that Jack sobs and the brunet looks at him. Dark’s leaning on his cane, wearing his formal black suit, and there are dark circles around his eyes. He shows no emotion on his face, but Jack can feel him again and he sighs. There’s sorrow, fury and repugnance.

 

“Get your hands off him,” his voice is deeper and it echoes around the place with such intensity that Jack shivers. “Solomon.”

 

“Dark.” The blond-haired man tilts his head and removes his hand from Jack’s neck. “Nice to see you.”

 

“I’m afraid I do not feel the same.”

 

Solomon leaves the bed to stand in front of Dark and the human has a bad feeling about this. Jack’s finger twitches and he focuses really hard to move again. He does his best to turn his face towards them, exposing his wound. Dark sees it and Jack feels ashamed. There’s a new feeling that corrupts his heart, the fear of not being wanted anymore. He feels disgusting and dirty after what Solomon did to him. Dark growls, showing his sharp teeth and exposing his wings in their dimension.

 

Jack gasps in horror when Solomon changes from his human form. His skin tone turns green and moldy. The demon’s wings are made out of spikes and rotten petals, and his rose-colored fire consumes his figure. Jack’s certain that his beauty is nothing more than a deceit. Dark changes too, horns and tail appearing. His skin turns grey, crimson eyes glaring at his enemy. The green-haired man wishes to leave with his demon and not face the fight that’s about to come.

 

They run towards each other and Jack watches them collide, the sound of thunder clapping fills the room and the human winces. They snarl like animals, clawing one another and they speak in an ancient language that Jack can’t quite pinpoint. Dark’s painful sounds reflect in Jack’s mind and he cries for him. Solomon throws him across the room and the brunet goes through a wall, tiles breaking with their powers. The Irishman panics because Solomon went after Dark and he can’t see them from this angle.

 

Jack tries to compose himself, breathing in and out, and he struggles to move his body. Fighting can be heard in the main room and the Irishman slowly puts an arm up, feeling his skin tingling again. Solomon must be losing his attention towards Jack, so the effect must be leaving his body. The human groans, knitting his eyebrows and feeling his right eye throb. When the green-haired man sits up, his vision swims and he lightly touches the edges of his fucked-up eye. He hisses. Jack’s shaking like a leaf and the sounds of destruction are nerve-wracking.

 

Dark screams and the Irishman jumps off the bed, only to fall facedown on the ground. He makes his way to the broken wall, crawling and supporting himself with weak legs. Jack shakes his head, trying to walk on his two feet. Another scream is heard and the Irishman sucks in air when he finally sees the demons fighting.

 

Dark’s on the floor with Solomon pulling his wings, foot on his back. There’s a snap and the brunet sucks for air himself. Jack stares in horror, realizing the blond-haired man broke one of  Dark’s wings. There’s blood everywhere. Jack thinks this is a fucking nightmare.

 

“You’re  _ weak! _ ” Solomon shouts. “What a shame, you are!”

 

“You should’ve seen Kali’s face when his soul left his body,” Dark grins with bloody teeth and Solomon groans.

 

“He was the  _ one  _ for me!”

 

“He was going to expose our world and ruin our entire existence, Solomon! He asked for it and you know it!”

 

They roar and Jack doesn’t know what to do. They fly around the whole place, breaking shit everywhere and the Irishman feels dizzy. His heart skips a beat and Jack frowns, feeling blood run down from his nose. He smudges it off with the back of his hand and he can’t focus on what’s in front of him anymore. Perhaps he was wrong about Solomon’s poison leaving his body. Jack leans on what’s left of the counter and touches his throat, feeling it closing. He lets his back hit the tiled floor and the sound calls Dark’s attention. The demons stare at him and Solomon smiles.

 

“Your baby boy is poisoned, dear. He doesn’t have much time.”

 

Jack’s breathing becomes raspy and shallow. Everything around him blurs and he can’t hear anything. All he can feel is his heart slowing down and the corner of his vision begins to turn black. He thinks he sees a shadow covering him like a blanket and there’s a sudden comfort in this hell he’s in. Jack murmurs the demon’s name, the words dragging out of his lips.

 

The Irishman’s body goes limp and he closes his eye.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew some quick sketches of them two days ago and I thought it'd be nice to share with you guys! I posted on my [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/BV-S70gARFs/?taken-by=sparklepines), because I didn't think it'd be good enough to show on tumblr. Anyway, hope you guys like it! See you next time!  
> 


	9. Chapter 9

The human gasps, air filling his lungs, and he coughs heavily. Jack knits his eyebrows and tries to find his bearings. He breathes through his mouth, his throat and lips are dry. Jack slowly opens his one eye and the first thing he sees is Dark. He realizes that the demon is holding him on the floor, Jack’s head resting against his chest, and the human can listen to his heartbeat. Dark has his own eyes closed, clutching onto Jack, and he’s whispering words that the green-haired man can’t understand right now. Jack blinks, feeling like he’s been through Hell.

 

He notices the quietness around them and the Irishman turns his face, only to gasp at the sight. Jack sees Solomon a few feet away, his chest’s wide open and his limbs are bent in a horrible way. The graphic scene of his dead body makes Jack feel sick and he can see that the demon’s ribs and guts are exposed. His neck is broken, twisted in an inhuman way, and half of his arms look like they’ve been skinned alive. There are trails of blood all over the place and Solomon’s fuchsia eyes are not shining anymore. Jack lets out a shaky breath and he finds Dark looking back at him.

 

For a moment, Jack’s afraid.

 

The demon senses it and his mouth forms a thin line. The Irishman looks back at the blond-haired man and remembers what Solomon did to him. It’s enough to make his body relax, relieved that he’s gone from this world, and he returns his gaze to Dark. They stare for a long time, silence stretching. They’re both covered in crimson blood, marked by violence. Jack licks his lips, trying to say something, but Dark shakes his head.

 

“You died, Jack,” he speaks. “I came too late and you died in my arms.”

 

The green-haired man raises his hand to touch the brunet’s cheek, watching him through a half-lidded eye and letting him speak. Dark covers Jack’s hand with his and his thumb caresses the human’s skin.

 

“I saw the last breath leave your lips and I felt your skin run cold under my fingers. Although, this is not the first time I’ve watched you die, it was certainly the most painful one,” he mutters slowly. “I couldn’t lose you. Not again. Not like this.”

 

“What...” Jack swallows. “What did you do?”

 

Dark tells him that after defeating Solomon, and absorbing his essence, he went to Hell. Jack’s jaw goes slack, realizing that Dark went after his soul. The demon tells him that Jack was not in Hell, like he thought, but actually in Purgatory. Jack makes an _Oh_ sound, realizing that he doesn’t know where he’s meant to go after his death. He grimaces, thinking about everything that Solomon put them through.

 

“It gave me enough time to make a deal,” he continues.

 

“Dark…” Jack frowns. “What did you _do?”_

 

The brunet eyes him, rubbing his cheek against Jack’s hand.

 

“I gave up my immortality to bring you back.” He shakes his head. “Forgive me for not doing this before, but I was being selfish. I still am. I did this only because I can’t stand living without you in this world. Even if I just ended my own life, it wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be like this.”

 

There’s a tear that falls from Dark’s eye and, when it hits Jack’s face, he can feel his wound healing. The cut through his eye is shut and he can blink again, but he still can’t see from that side and it’ll leave a bad scar. Jack purses his lips, moving to embrace Dark, and he sighs when the demon hugs him back. They stay like that for a long time, both of them trying to recover and calming down their hearts.

 

“Take me home,” Jack whispers. “Let’s just go home…”

 

The demon nods and the world around them shifts. Jack sighs when he sees the house and Dark’s still holding him. The green-haired man frowns when they don’t go inside right away and he looks at the brunet.

 

“You cast me away from your home,” the demon answers his silent doubt. “I can no longer go inside without being invited.”

 

“Oh…” Jack licks his lips. They exchange a look, and the human takes a moment to absorb this little bit of control that he can have. Still, he wishes to never use it again. “I g-give you my permission…Y-You’re welcome to go inside the house...”

 

The demon tilts his head in a thankful manner and he carries Jack in his arms, bridal style. The human can’t help but blush under the shadow of Dark’s neck, and he sees the claw marks that the brunet left etched into the floor. Jack tightens his grip on the demon’s back, feeling sorry for what he had done and wanting to show it. Dark walks them upstairs without saying a word and ignoring the evidence of a bad memory.

 

The demon carries him into the bathroom. He turns on the shower, making sure that the water is lukewarm. When Dark tries to remove the human’s torn shirt, Jack panics and grabs him by the wrist. He can feel the brunet frowning at him, but the Irishman refuses to meet his eyes. Dark doesn’t press the matter and lowers his hands, murmuring that he’ll be in the bedroom in case he needs anything. Jack nods, hugging himself.

 

The sound of the water hitting the tiled floor soothes him after a while and the Irishman takes a deep breath, slowly removing his clothes and stepping into the shower. His injured eye stings, but it’s not as bad as before. Dark definitely did something to help heal it, otherwise he’d be at the goddamn hospital right now. Jack scrubs the dry blood off his skin and he watches the water turn bright pink. He tries sending the bad memories down the drain.

 

The green-haired man sighs, staring at himself in the mirror. There’s a red scar marking his right eye and Jack can finally see the damage. The human wonders if he should get an eyepatch and he tightens the towel around his waist, observing the cuts on his body as well. He’s a fucking mess and recovering his sense of depth will be quite something. People will start looking at him in a funny way, and Jack already can feel his social anxiety coming back all over again.

 

When Jack steps out of the bathroom, he notices that Dark is clean and he’s wearing just a white shirt with a loose tie and black pants. Informal once more. He keeps his back turned to Jack while the human finds some light clothes, and he’s still thankful for that. The green-haired man comes closer to the brunet once he’s done, looking at Dark’s frame, gritting his teeth. There’s an uncertainty hovering in the air, both of them on unstable ground. Jack still can’t quite wrap his mind around the fact that he actually fucking died and that the demon is now mortal. _How much do I mean to you?_ he thinks to himself. Dark pretends not to listen.

 

“How are your wings?” Jack asks out loud instead.

 

“They’ll heal,” the brunet replies with a sigh. “Not as fast as before, but they will.”

 

The green-haired man nods, placing his hands under his arms and looking down at the floor. Jack’s glad that his left side is next to Dark, so the human can see his expression out of the corner of his eye. The demon turns to look at him with an unreadable face and Jack doesn’t like when he tries to hide his emotions.

 

“Do you wish to forget?” Dark speaks. “About everything?”

 

The demon’s words throw him for a moment and they gaze at each other. There’s a deal in his question and Jack inhales through his nose, thinking about it. The forest no longer carries the presence of another demon and the human admires the pine trees in the evening light. The moon shines bright, unaware of what happened underground. He recalls his first day here, moving into this new town, and Jack thinks that he was very naive back then. It’s been around a month and half since he arrived, and his life has drastically changed. A mundane world that got caught in another.

 

“No,” Jack whispers, remembering how perfect he felt in Dark’s arms. “I don’t want to forget. I don’t want you to leave...”

 

Dark doesn’t say anything back, but he raises his hand slowly towards Jack’s face and the human holds his breath. The brunet’s fingers hover over his injured eye and the human turns away, feeling ashamed. Dark hums and holds his jaw to maneuver his face back to him. Jack looks down at their feet and watches the space between them get smaller. The green-haired man feels Dark’s warm breath on his skin, and their noses touch with the proximity. Jack’s heart flutters when the brunet caresses his hair and he wraps his arms around Dark’s waist.

 

The desire to kiss him is there, but Jack doesn’t seal their mouths together. He can still feel Solomon’s touch poisoning his mind, so they just lightly brush their lips and the human closes his eye. They stay like this, under the moonlight coming from the window, and Dark starts murmuring a lullaby against his mouth. Jack wishes to be in his arms like this forever, and in a way, that already came true.

 

The green-haired man feels his wounds healing a little more and he presses his thumb between Dark’s eyebrows, soothing his frown away. Jack tells him to stop doing that, otherwise he’ll feel weak and get hurt by wasting too much energy. Dark needs to be careful now that he can actually die, and for a moment, Jack’s consumed by the fear of losing him. The demon bumps his forehead against Jack’s, sighing at the human’s thought. He tells Jack to sleep and the Irishman shakes his head.

 

“You’re exhausted, kid.”

 

Dark’s hand caresses his inner wrist and Jack stares at the bright red cuts around it, not finding strength to speak out loud anymore. He sighs and rests his forehead against Dark’s chest, wanting to melt in his arms.

 

_Then stay with me,_ Jack thinks and the demon nods.

 

 

***

 

 

He wakes up with a gasp and his arms go up, trying to find something to hold onto. Jack sits up and immediately covers his right eye, thinking that there’s something blocking his sight and wanting to take it off. Dark’s hand grabs his and he looks at him as if saying that there’s nothing there. It takes a moment for Jack to remember everything that happened due to his foggy mind. Then, the green-haired man sighs heavily and rests his forehead against his other hand. Jack scowls, nightmares about the fuchsia demon hovering in the air.

 

The Irishman stares at their hands, fingers lacing, and something warm briefly fills his heart. The birds chirping outside tell Jack that it’s early morning and he feels no rush to start another day. Dark’s thumb caresses his skin, bringing Jack back to reality and letting him fully wake up. The human rubs his left eye and yawns. _I wanna go to the bathroom,_ Jack tells him. Dark nods and the human has to jump over the demon’s frame to leave the bed.

 

When he comes back, teeth freshly brushed and face washed, Jack lies down next to him again. He pulls Dark until the demon is on top of him, chest-to-chest. The brunet’s hair brushes over Jack’s forehead and it brings a smile to his face. The human wants to spend this day in bed, not caring about the world. He wants to heal, mentally and physically. Dark doesn’t protest and just watches his human intently. Jack sighs and rubs their noses together, making the demon scoff.

 

“Can you show me?” Jack whispers. “Can you show me what happened while I was gone?”

 

The demon purses his lips, but he lets their forehead touch and Jack’s eye turns black with their connection. The human sees himself through Dark’s point of view, lying on the floor. When the brunet tries to go towards him, Solomon pulls him by the tail and drags him through the tiles until he’s far away from the green-haired man. Dark growls and it feels like it’s coming from Jack’s own chest. He can feel the demon’s body changing again, taking the form of a hellhound and attacking Solomon.

 

He’s graceful and deadly. Through Dark’s eyes, he sees how Solomon’s face shows fear for the first time and his demon jumps straight to his throat. Dark shakes him mercilessly, like a ragdoll, and his claws sink down into his chest. Jack feels the demon’s satisfaction when opening the blond-haired man up and breaking his bones. Dark wasn’t kidding when he said he would kill Solomon with his bare hands. The brunet opens his mouth when black smoke starts oozing out of the other demon, and Jack assumes it’s Solomon’s essence that is being devoured by Dark. His demon howls, feeling more powerful after consuming the other, but then, he turns back to the human.

 

Dark runs towards him, finally able to touch him. Jack can feel his fear. He nudges Jack and touches his cheeks when he shifts to his human form, trying to wake him up. There’s _so_ much sorrow in the demon’s heart. Dark calls for him, over and over, but there’s no response. The human sees his own breathing come to an end and the brunet freezes. Something breaks inside him and it’s absolutely _terrifying._ For a moment, all trace of humanity in Dark vanishes. All his emotions disappear. He holds Jack in his arms and his heart feels ice cold.

 

Hours pass with the demon just holding him, in the middle of the nightclub. At one point, Dark asked himself if he should bury Jack’s body, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He brushes strands of green hair away from the human’s face and Dark doesn’t blink while staring down at him. Jack feels his decision to go back to Hell and try bringing him back. The brunet’s eyes turn red and he disconnects himself from this dimension to catch himself a deal before it’s too late. When the desolation within Dark’s heart gets too overwhelming, Jack gasps and comes back to the present.

 

The flashback ends and Dark’s still quiet. The Irishman sobs and hugs him, burying his face in the crook of the demon’s neck. Jack understands now that this will be the last time he’ll be reborn. This is the last time they will find each other and it’s somehow, bittersweet. The green-haired man sighs and brushes his lips over Dark’s tan skin. Jack holds his face and stares at him for a long time, thinking that he must’ve suffered too many times after each death, and then waiting for Jack to be reborn. He caresses the brunet’s cheeks and Dark lets him. The human smiles, admiring him and embracing the oddity of their relationship.

 

Jack leans in to capture Dark’s lips, kissing his demon. He doesn’t want to think about Solomon, he wants to get lost in Dark’s lips. Jack wants this day to be slow and caring. Their mouths dance in sync and the demon sucks on his tongue. Jack moans, pulling his tie like he always wanted, and tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Dark sighs into his mouth and it’s beautiful. They kiss lazily, not seeking anything more than that at the moment. Jack feels his heart ease, breathing the same air as Dark.

 

They spend the whole day caressing each other in bed, only getting up every now and then to eat something or go to the bathroom. Jack feels as light as a feather, entwining their legs between the sheets, and there’s a healing scar in their hearts.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend said that this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arMvMYSa_L0) really matches this chapter and I just love it!  
> 


	10. Chapter 10

Jack purses his lips and his hand tightens around the doorknob. The Irishman needs to go downtown and buy more supplies, but he’s too self-conscious of his injured eye and he’s worried that he’ll have an anxiety attack out in the open. Jack remembers how difficult it was to gain confidence during his life, and now, he feels like a teenager all over again. He knows he’ll come through this, he’ll surpass these new doubts in his mind, but that still requires time. Jack sighs and glares at the wooden door.

 

Dark shows up next to him and the Irishman looks down at his extended hand. He’s holding an eyepatch and a huff comes out of Jack’s lips, the corner of his mouth curving. They exchange a look, words not being able to translate what they feel, and Jack takes the eyepatch from him. The green-haired man slowly covers his right eye and ties it around his head, feeling odd. He turns to check how he looks in the hallway mirror and Jack touches the fabric, adjusting it a little more and pulling some of his hair in front of it.

 

“Thanks…” Jack murmurs.

 

“Would you like me as company?” Dark asks.

 

“Uh,” the Irishman says and thinks about the citizens not recognizing this new person. “Do what you want, I don’t… I don’t mind.”

 

“Then I will go.”

 

Jack looks at him and nods after a moment, finally opening the door and walking towards the car. Dark proceeds to just follow him quietly, sitting in the passenger seat. The oddity of having a demon in his truck makes him chuckle and he shakes his head. The old engine comes to life and they drive down the hill on the dirt road, Dark’s frown growing every time they drive over a hole. Jack turns the radio on, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel when a song starts playing. The view of the small town appears after a couple of minutes and the human finds a place to park the car, close to the local market.

 

Jack feels out of place when leaving the car and seeing some people turning their heads towards them. He tugs every now and then at the eyepatch and he holds the cart tighter than he should when they enter the market. Dark seems unphased by the citizens, only narrowing his eyes at the different products and murmuring about proper food. Jack tries to distract himself and lets Dark add things to his list, finding it funny that he’s shopping with a demon. It’s such a domestic scene.

 

They don’t buy anything frozen, especially because they plan to walk around town and Jack doesn’t want anything defrosting in his car. Dark scowls when Jack bites on his nails after dumping the groceries in the back of the pickup truck, and the human sighs. People stare at Dark’s odd outfit, too formal for such things, and the Irishman scratches the back of his head. He tightens the knot of his eyepatch, making sure that it’s still in place. They walk side by side, their elbows brushing, and Jack’s cheeks heat up whenever someone looks at them.

 

_ Pet, you’re overthinking. _

 

Jack rolls his eye at the nickname, but knows that the demon is right. He chews the inside of his cheek and stops in his tracks when he sees a clothing store. Dark immediately shakes his head and Jack nods, a huge smile finally showing up on his face. He drags the demon into the store and starts looking for comfy clothes, forgetting about the people around them for once. The demon groans and, when the human places a red plaid shirt over his shoulder, Dark says he’s not fond of looking like a lumberjack.

 

“You’re not going to be dressed like that all the time!” Jack points at his suit. “I admit that that’s hot, but something more casual is always nice.”

 

The Irishman throws a colorful shirt at him and he laughs when it lands right on his face. Jack leans forward, using his hands to support him by the knees when he keeps giggling. Dark watches him with a scowl, but there’s fondness in his eyes. They spend a couple of hours doing that; shopping for a few things for the demon and eating in the car. Jack still keeps fidgeting with the piece of fabric over his eye, but Dark’s presence helps  to distract him a little.

 

He sighs, feeling anxiety leave his body when they go back to the wooden cabin. Jack decides to keep the eyepatch on, wanting to get used to it, and he puts the groceries away. Dark watches him intently, his gaze following him wherever he goes. Once he’s done, the human rubs his own wrists, seeing the healing cuts on his skin. Jack looks down at the counter, zoning out and trying to come to terms with his new self. Dark’s arms wrapping around his waist slowly bring him back to reality, and he drops his hands. The Irishman looks over his shoulder to see the brunet glaring at the wounds.

 

“I wish to kill him again,” Dark growls. “One time is not enough.”

 

“Yeah, well.. He’s gone. That’s enough for me...” Jack turns to face him and holds his face gently. “Eleanor helped. They’re kind.”

 

“Would you like to see them again? Would that make you happy?”

 

“Yes.” The green-haired man traces Dark’s lips with his fingers and he inhales deeply. “Yes, someday. That would be nice.”

 

The demon hums in agreement and he takes Jack’s hand to plant soft kisses on his knuckles. Jack’s heart skips a beat and he stares at Dark’s display of affection. He thinks about all the lives they ever met and how crazy everything still is to him. When the brunet kisses his inner wrist, over a wound, Jack feels goosebumps all over his body. Dark closes his eyes, brushing his mouth over the human’s hand, and Jack feels safe.

 

“I’m in love with you…” he whispers, like it’s a secret being revealed, and it’s like all his lives say it in unison.

 

Dark opens his eyes, looking at him through his eyelashes, and he’s absolutely beautiful. The demon moves to caress the back of the Irishman’s hair, bringing him closer. Their lips brush and Jack sighs, opening his mouth to feel Dark. They tease each other with a light kiss, breathing the same air and closing their eyes. Jack’s the first to give in and finally capture their mouths together in a strong kiss. Dark groans when the human bites his bottom lip and the demon’s warm tongue threatens to devour him. They break the kiss to catch their breath and the demon’s next words send shivers down his spine.

 

“I want to _ ravish  _ you.”

 

Jack yelps when Dark lifts him from the floor and his legs immediately wrap around the demon’s waist for support. The demon starts walking away from the kitchen to go upstairs and that makes the human chuckle. He kisses Dark while he climbs the stairs and bites down on his neck, feeling happy to hear a groan coming from the brunet. He huffs when Dark drops him in bed and Jack pulls hard on his tie, bringing him down for sloppy kisses. The demon tugs on his shirt and the human freezes mid-kiss. 

 

Dark rubs his thumb on Jack’s waist and the Irishman takes deep breaths, hating how self-conscious he feels. They look at the each and a soothing wave coming from the demon embraces him. Jack smiles fondly. He nods, a quiet consent to continue. Dark takes off the human’s shirt and pulls his pants down. Jack lifts his hips to help and the demon’s hands tug on his waistband. When Dark slowly removes his boxer briefs, the Irishman bites on his bottom lip and looks away. The brunet hums at the sight, touching Jack’s porcelain skin with care. The thorns’ scars paint his body with a bright pink color, like a ribbon around him.

 

“You’re beautiful,” Dark whispers.

 

Jack turns his face towards him again, flushing, and the demon removes the eyepatch from his face. A soft moan escapes his lips when Dark rubs his thumb on his inner thigh. The demon leans forward to kiss him there, not quite touching between his legs, and the green-haired man puts an arm over his face. He holds back little sounds when Dark starts planting love bites on his thigh and hips, face heating up and heart fluttering.

 

The human groans and tugs on the demon’s shirt, wanting him to take it off. Dark catches his thoughts and does what he’s told. When he pulls down his pants, however, Jack stops him in his tracks and sits up. The Irishman switches their places in a quick movement and kisses his way down to Dark’s navel. He breathes over the fabric of his boxer briefs, feeling the brunet’s erection, and he takes them off. Jack hums when he sees Dark’s cock and circles his tongue around the head before taking it into his mouth. The demon’s hand immediately grabs Jack’s hair and the Irishman moans.

 

He’s slow at first, tasting the saltiness of his lover’s skin and adding pressure with his tongue. When he senses that Dark is losing his patience, Jack lowers his head and sucks on his cock, head moving up and down. The demon’s sweet little groans send shivers down the human’s spine and he moans when Dark tugs harder on his hair. Jack’s heart races and his cheeks are a pretty shade of red. When the brunet calls his name, the Irishman releases him with a popping sound and he swallows his own spit mixed with precum. He flushes when Dark materializes a small bottle of lube in his hands, and Jack really doesn’t want to question how he knew about that. The green-haired man always kept that in bathroom for safety. The demon smiles and Jack tells him to shut up.

 

Dark spreads some of his fingers in it and wraps his hand around Jack’s member, jerking him off while his other hand touches his entrance. The Irishman gasps and moves down to hide his face in the crook of Dark’s neck when a finger moves inside him. His whole body flushes, but he opens his legs to give the demon more space. Jack bites the brunet’s earlobe when he inserts a second finger and begins to scissor him. The green-haired man moans and starts thrusting into Dark’s hand, wanting more of it. A shout comes out of his lips when the demon moves faster, stretching him open and adding more fingers. Jack’s jaw goes slack and he curses into Dark’s ear.

 

They switch position once again and Jack falls onto the mattress with a huff, wrapping his legs around Dark’s waist and pulling him closer. The demon removes his hand and adjusts himself, pressing down into Jack’s asshole. The human holds his breath when Dark slowly slides inside him, feeling his member pulsing with pleasure. There’s a sweet sting and he grunts loudly, telling Dark to fucking move. The demon holds him by the ass cheeks, spreading them wide, and their skin slaps together when they begin to thrust. Jack loses all the little control he had and starts moaning at the top of his lungs. Dark growls, fucking him nice and sweet.

 

Jack grabs the brunet’s hair and pulls him into a deep kiss, both of them breathing sharp and fast. There’s a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead and his green hair is starting to stick to the back of his neck. The heat under his stomach grows and his muscles tense up with every move. Jack curses out loud at the obscene sound of their skin hitting each other and the bed creaks, slamming against the wall. The human looks at the ceiling and he feels lightheaded, his vision turning white whenever Dark hits his prostate, over and over. Jack throws his head back, opening his mouth to scream at one particularly strong thrust that takes his breath away.

 

“Ah, f-fuck!” Jack screams. “Fuck me!”

 

“T-Touch yourself,” Dark breathes down at him, and it turns Jack on seeing him like this.

 

The green-haired man scratches the demon’s back before moving down to hold his own cock, precum dripping on his fingers. Jack touches himself harshly, squeezing his head to make his toes curl with the sensation. Dark thrusts hard again and the human jerks his member a couple of times before finally spilling between their bodies. Jack arches his back when his orgasm hits him, screaming Dark’s name. His body spasms against the bed and he sees white, shivering with adrenaline. The brunet pulls him up to sit on his lap, just like that day in the garden, except this time Jack feels like jello and he just lets Dark move him the way he wants.

 

The demon holds his back and the Irishman hugs him by the shoulders, humming when Dark fucks him through his orgasm. Jack licks his neck, admiring his tan skin through a half-lidded eye, and the brunet moans. The human feels him coming inside him, warm semen leaking between his thighs. Dark breathes heavily and rests his forehead against Jack’s shoulder. The Irishman caresses his head, coming down from his ecstasy little by little. He holds Dark’s face and kisses his forehead, brushing black hair away from the demon’s eyes. It does things to Jack’s heart seeing his demon disheveled like this.

 

“I love you,” the human murmurs and kisses his cheek. “I never thought I would love someone like this… You drive me crazy.”

 

“I’ll love you until the end of my days, kid.”

 

Dark looks at him with glassy eyes and Jack whimpers, feeling happy to hear that from his lover. The demon doesn’t let go of him when he moves to lie down in bed, so they stay chest-to-chest. Jack hums, adjusting himself because Dark’s still inside him, and they catch their breaths together.

 

“Will you still love me when I’m old?” Jack whispers, kissing the knuckles of Dark’s hand. “When we have gray hair and wrinkles...”

 

“Always.”

 

Jack huffs at how cheesy his demon is, but he smiles nonetheless. They stay like that, enjoying the silence between them that soon follows. After a while, Jack can’t help but poke him in the ribs and ask for another round. This time, however, Jack rides him while wearing Dark’s white shirt. The green-haired man bounces up and down, making circular movements to tease the demon underneath him. It’s sweeter, somehow. They take their time and explore every trace of skin, every mark and every mole that kisses their bodies. Jack imagines himself grabbing onto Dark’s wings and he can’t wait for them to heal so he can provoke his lover. They moan and move against each other, closing their eyes and reaching climax once again.

 

The human feels content, warm, protected. Dark gets up to clean them off and Jack shivers with his light touches, skin too sensitive after their activities. Their legs tangle under the sheets and the stars blink in the sky like there’s no tomorrow. They embrace each other and breathe in sync. Their hearts mend together. All Jack’s past lives sigh in unison and they finally come to a rest after their awakening.

 

Jack sighs in the crook of Dark’s neck, feeling whole.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed this story and I can't wait to write more of them. Anything, hmu! I'm strawberry-soo on tumblr ♥
> 
> [Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub-U19BWidg&index=1&list=PL6XgzmiBk09Ho_26z7fUGK6aZ2yJkE2Bd) (also on spotify as marvelsoo)  
> [Storyboard](https://pinterest.com/sparklepines/awakening/)  
> NOW WITH AMAZING FANART MADE BY MY GIRL [RIGHT HERE](http://plutonic-5.tumblr.com/post/165946678560/its-been-around-a-month-and-a-half-since-he)  
> 


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